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‘Carpio refused offer to be CJ’ By Nat Mariano

VOL. XXXII • NO. 288 • 3 SECTIONS • 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday defended his decision to appoint Lucas Bersamin as the new Supreme Court chief justice, saying his ﬁrst choice rejected his offer. In a speech in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, Duterte said the most senior among the

sitting magistrates, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, “refused the offer,” which is why he decided to pick the person next in rank. Bersamin is only the third most senior magistrate of the Supreme Court, but is the most senior justice in terms of service in the courts, where he has served 32 years. Next page

PUNITIVE POWER. The long arm of the law, through the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125, finds Thursday three Caloocan cops (in yellow shirts, left, right above) guilty of murder—over the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos (inset) lifeless during an anti-illegal drug operation in Caloocan City on Aug 16, 2017. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua—under existing laws 20 years and one day to 40 years—without any possibility for parole. Andrew Rabulan

Kian’s killers get life term

3 cops sentenced in first conviction vs war on drugs

Ocampo nabbed for transporting 14 minors

By Rey E. Requejo, Nat Mariano, Macon R. Araneta

By Francisco Tuyay and Maricel V. Cruz

HREE Philippine policemen were sentenced on Thursday to decades in prison for murdering 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during an anti-narcotics sweep, a first conviction of officers carrying out President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

AUTHORITIES arrested former Rep. Satur Ocampo and incumbent ACT Party-list congressman France Castro and 19 others for allegedly transporting 14 minors under questionable circumstances in Davao del Norte Wednesday. In a statement, Sr. Supt. Ferlu Silvio, acting provincial director of Davao del Norte said Ocampo, Castro along with 19 individuals were stopped at a checkpoint in Purok 1, Brgy. Sto Nino, Talaingod, Davao del Norte at 9 pm. He said Ocampo’s entourage were in ﬁve vans in the company of 14 minors and heading to Maco, Compostela Valley when they were intercepted by policeman and soldiers from the 56th Infantry

Duterte has vowed to pardon authorities involved in his bloody crackdown, but even he refused to defend the 2017 killing of Delos Santos in a dank alley near his house in Caloocan City— which helped spark rare protests against the campaign. Police said the 17-year-old was a drug courier who ﬁred at them while resisting arrest. However, CCTV footage showed two of the policemen dragging the unarmed boy moments before he was shot dead. Delos Santos’ family erupted in tears in the cramped Caloocan courtroom after PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz were found

DDS to bring relief to people—Panelo THE Palace scrambled Thursday to defend President Rodrigo Duterte’s idea to create an armed civilian group called the “Duterte Death Squad” to counteract communist assassins, saying such an operation would bring “relief” to the people. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President’s proposal is still an “idea,” but the government needs to work for it to come to fruition.

Anti-Du30 solons assured of funds By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

‘Stairway to heaven’ opens on Dec. 15 By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority is set to open to pedestrians on Dec. 15 the controversial footbridge in Quezon City tagged by netizens as “stairway to heaven” for being inaccessible to pregnant women, the elderly and persons Next page with disabilities.

HISTORICAL TREASURE. Inaugurated in 1929, the Bonifacio Monument, known as just Monumento, a euphemism for the 45-foot pylon and figures cast in bronze, is getting a facelift on the eve of Bonifacio Day, a national holiday. Inset (left) is the Katipunan Supremo’s Monument in Pugad Lawin while the other inset (right) is the one standing at the intersections of Edsa, Samson Road, Rizal Avenue and MacArthur Highway. Andrew Rabulan

Prized Bonifacio items up for auction By Jimbo Gulle THE country marks Andres Bonifacio’s 155th birth anniversary today as a national holiday, but an antiques auction to be held the next day will be the real cause for celebration for advocates of the Father of the Philippine Revolution. That’s because the auction, to be staged by Leon Gallery on Saturday (Dec. 1), will include a number of historical documents and items that will bolster claims

that Bonifacio was betrayed by his fellow members in the revolutionary society Katipunan before he was executed in May 1897. The government has asked the Makati-based gallery to stop the sale of eight historical items so the National Historical Commission of the Philippines could purchase them once it gets funding, a report by Ces Oreña Drilon on the ABSCBN News Channel website said on Wednesday. Next page

MAJORITY Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. says some lawmakers who are known critics of the Duterte administration will get P60 million in congressional allocation under the proposed 2019 National Expenditure Program. ‘‘All of them get [their congressional entitlements],” Andaya told reporters. “It is up to them if they will utilize it Next page or not.”

Imelda withdraws gubernatorial bid, taps grandson as substitute ILOCOS Norte 2nd District Rep. Imelda Marcos, out on a P150,000 bail from her conviction of seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan, withdrew on Thursday her bid for governor of her family’s home province. The 89-year-old former First Lady and governor of Metro Manila will be

substituted by her grandson, Ilocos Norte Board Member Matthew Marcos Manotoc, son of incumbent Gov. Imee Marcos, who is seeking a Senate seat, according to election ofﬁcials. Mrs. Marcos was found guilty of seven counts of graft by the anti-graft Next page

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

No ‘kill order’ vs Parojinogs—Palace By Nat Mariano

HE members of the Parojinog clan, who are involved in illegal drugs, will only be killed when they resist arrest, the Palace said Thursday after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to “wipe out [the family] from the face of the Earth.” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte was only calling out to the Parojinog involved in illegal drugs. “He is actually referring to those who are involved in drugs. They should be prosecuted to the fullest,” Panelo said. He said Duterte did not issue any shoot-to-kill orders against the members of the Parojinog clan.

Reggae wins spot on UN treasures’ list PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS—Reggae music, whose calm, lilting grooves found international fame thanks to artists like Bob Marley, on Thursday won a spot on the United Nations' list of global cultural treasures. UNESCO, the world body's cultural and scientific agency, added the genre that originated in Jamaica to its collection of "intangible cultural heritage" deemed worthy of protection and promotion. Reggae music's "contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual," UNESCO said. The musical style joined a list of cultural traditions that includes the horsemanship of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual and Czech puppetry, and more than 300 other traditional practices that range from boat-building, pilgrimages and cooking. Reggae emerged in the late 1960s out of Jamaica's ska and rocksteady genres, also drawing influence from American jazz and blues. The style quickly became popular in the United States as well as in Britain, where many Jamaican immigrants had moved in the post-WWII years. It was often championed as a music of the oppressed, with lyrics addressing sociopolitical issues, imprisonment and inequality. AFP

Ocampo... From A1

Brigade in Sition Igang, Brgy. Palma Gil. Silvio said the five-vehicle convoy was flagged down at the checkpoint after they received information that a group of people were emerging from a remote area in Talaingod, a known New People’s Army-infested area. Chief Insp. Jason Baria, spokesman of Police Regional Office-11 said the rescued minors were 14 to 17 of age. Capt. Erick Wymer Calulot, spokesperson of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade said the 14 minors came from different parts of Mindanao and were there without the knowledge of their respective guardians. Calulot hinted that the minors were to be employed in an anti-paramilitary protest today during the observance of Bonifacio Day in Davao province. Of the 19 individuals arrested in Ocampo and Castro’s entourage 10 were teachers from the Salugpongan Community Learning Center; two staff members of the ACT Party-list; four clergymen from Davao and an Administrator of the Salugpongan Learning Center. Hours following their arrest, Ocampo, Castro and their 19 companions were charged by the Talaingod PNP for violating Republic Act 7610 or “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.” Shortly after the arrest of Ocampo, Calulot said tribal leaders in Talaingod condemned the act of Ocampo’s group and stormed the PNP station where the group is held and demanded that the former leave the area and not take their children. Mayor Basilio Libayao of Talaingod municipality has passed a resolution declaring their condemnation of any group’s activities and presence in their municipality, Calulot said in a statement.

Imelda... From A1

court three weeks ago for allegedly illegally funneling funds to Swiss foundations while her husband, then President Ferdinand Marcos, ruled from 1966 to 1986. But Marcos had vowed to fight her conviction and would appeal her case with the Supreme Court. The Sandiganbayan sentenced Marcos to serve from 6 to 11 years in prison for each of the seven counts of violating an anti-corruption law when she illegally funneled about $200 million to Swiss foundations in the 1970s, when she served as Metropolitan Manila governor and minister of Human Settlements.

“It means he will pursue to the ends of the earth,these criminals until they are behind bars,” Panelo said, adding the killing would only happen if the Parojinogs resisted arrest. “[The killing will only come] if they do violence to those who are enforcing the law. It is very clear every time the President says that,” Panelo said. “And the law allows killing when their [police] lives are endangered. It is a justified circumstance under the Revised Penal Code. There is no need for an order to shoot to kill.” Panelo made the remark following Duterte’s warning to wipe out the Parojinogs. “The Parojinog family, stop threatening people. I will wipe you from the face of the earth, I’m telling you,” Duterte said in his speech during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ozamiz Airport Modernization Project in Misamis Occidental Wednesday night.

“I will really finish all of you off including the police. You better watch out. I’ll have you called in Manila. When you arrive at the airport, I’ll have you killed.” The Palace said the President was only trying to fulfill his promise to the people to make the country safe. “All actions of the President are based on one constitutional command, that is to serve and to protect the people,” Panelo said. “If that place there endangers the lives of the people there, then he is required, he’s directed, he’s commanded and ordered by the Constitution to do something about it. Otherwise, he is remiss of his constitutional duty to protect and to serve the people.” In July 2017, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. and 14 others were killed in a series of antidrug raids led by Police Superintendent Jovie Espenido.

Senators up in arms against auto trader’s killing most in tears” when they talked over the phone. He said he and his other colleagues in the Senate majority bloc had a vibrant and active discussion in a Viber group on how “we should put a stop to this culture of impunity.” “Basta patayan na lang. Kung may galit ka sa isang tao, patayin mo na lang. Parang ganun ang nangyayari,” Zubiri said. “We condemn the dastardly and heinous crime that was committed to businessman Dominic Sytin. We urge the PNP to use the full force of the law against these perpetrators, against these killers.” Zubiri said among those who participated in the discussion were Senators Panfilo Lacson, Joel Villanueva, Richard Gordon, Gringo Honasan and Loren Legarda . He said the Senate also agreed to file a resolution, to be signed by majority mem-

bers, urging the PNP to fully investigate and catch Sytin’s killers. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Sytin’s niche was not in fancy cars that ferry people from point A to B, but in vehicles that moved the economy forward. He made heavy equipment affordable to the small businessman, the countryside trader, to the promdi farmer and to local governments. “If roads are being paved, goods hauled, earth moved, buildings erected, farms modernized, water canals dug in many places today, he surely played a big role in making these happen,” Recto said. “His was the classic story of guts and grit. He inherited neither great wealth nor a famous name. Far from being discouraged, he harnessed these handicaps to fuel his dream.”

guilty beyond reasonable doubt of killing Delos Santos in August 2017. Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. of the Caloocan regional trial court Branch 125 sentenced the three suspects to reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years in prison with no possibility of parole. He also ordered them to pay the victim’s family P100,000 civil indemnity, P100,000 moral damages, P45,000 actual damages and P100,000 exemplary damages including interest on all damages. “I feel so happy because this proves that my son was innocent and was never involved in drugs,” Delos Santos’ mother, Lorenza, told reporters. “[Policemen] can be jailed for life if they do not stop their abusive practices,” she added. Drug war critics hailed the conviction as an example of justice and accountability, which they said have been rare since Duterte unleashed the campaign to rid the Philippines of narcotics in 2016. Since then police say they have killed nearly 5,000 alleged drug users and pushers who fought against arrest, while rights groups say the true toll is at least triple that and may amount to crimes against humanity. Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher for Human Rights Watch, said: “This is a warning to the Philippine National Police that they better follow due process and respect the rights of suspects.” Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo hailed the guilty verdict as “a triumph of justice” and said the President would not pardon the convicted policemen. He added that the conviction showed that the country has “a robust and working justice system, contrary to what this administration’s detractors are depicting.” Panelo said Duterte, who moved for the immediate relief, arrest and detention of the erring policemen, had closely monitored the Delos Santos’ case upon seeing footage of his killing. “This shows that President Duterte will not tolerate any wrongdoing by men in uniform,” he added.

The government has argued a preliminary probe of the drug war killings launched by the International Criminal Court is unjustified because the nation’s justice system is functioning. Rights advocates agreed the decision was important, but noted that it only involved lowranking policemen. “Who gave the orders? Was this part of a policy? These questions remain unanswered,” rights lawyer Romel Bagares said. Duterte and his drug war are backed by many Filipinos fed up with high crime rates and a slow-moving judicial system. But the death of Delos Santos, as well as of two other Manila teenagers accused of robbing a taxi driver, triggered rare street protests in 2017 and highlighted concerns about police abuse. Days after the killing Duterte said in a speech: “It was really bad. That was really not performance of duty. Do not commit a crime.” It led to Duterte briefly suspending police participation in the drug crackdown for a second time. The first occasion was in January last year after narcotics police officers were arrested for the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean businessman in 2016. However, in both instances the police were reinstated in the campaign without major reforms. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra lauded the prosecutors for successful prosecution of the Delos Santos murder case, saying this proved that the mechanism for accountability in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs is in place and effective. “This conviction debunks the myth that there is a culture of impunity in the government’s war against drugs... We will continue to dispense justice and let the hammer fall where it should fall,” Guevarra said in a statement. He also said the conviction should serve as a warning to law enforcers that the rule of law and due process must always be observed. The Public Attorney’s Office provided legal assistance to Delos Santos family. Delos Santos was slain on the night of Aug. 16, 2017, during a “One Time, Big Time” operation of the Caloocan City police. Police tagged him as a drug runner. Police earlier claimed that Delos Santos

fought back but CCTV footage showed him being dragged by police officers toward the Tullahan River, where he was later found dead in a kneeling position. The uncle of the slain teenager, Randy delos Santos, urged other families with similar cases to come forward. “This shows they should not be afraid. We now have an example,” he said in Filipino in an interview with GMA News TV. “Our laws are working.” He thanked the prosecution team and the PAO, which have been with the family since the trial began and ensured that justice was done. Senator Grace Poe said the verdict showed that “justice is on hand, not just for the young Delos Santos, but for the other dubious deaths linked to the drug war.” Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said this was an important victory for justice and to all those fighting to put an end to the impunity of killing. “This is a light in the darkness,” she said. Despite the gruesome climate of killing and impunity in the country, she said the verdict sends the message that there is hope and justice. She said the President cannot wash his hands of these killings any longer, and his apologists cannot play deaf, dumb and blind in the President’s defense. Through his words and endless provocation, President Duterte set into motion the killing of thousands, she said. She also called on the honest men and women of the Philippine National Police to help stop the climate of killing in the country. “I know many of you are honorable and patriotic. I know many of you have worked hard to professionalize the police force. And I know many of you are hurting from the actions of a few corrupt and abusive within your ranks. Let us stop this madness. Let Kian be the last name we will see in the list of EJKs under the Duterte administration,” she said. Senator Leila de Lima, under detention on drug charges, said the guilty verdict was an “oasis for justic seekers in an otherwise wasteland of human wrongs.” With Rio N. Araja and AFP

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATORS on Thursday slammed the “culture of impunity” in the country following the shooting to death of businessman Dominic Sytin, the founder and chief executive of United Auctioneers Inc., outside a hotel in Subic Wednesday night. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he and other senators were devastated and shocked upon learning of the killing of Sytin, his “very, very good friend.” Sytin sustained a gunshot wound in the head. His bodyguard was also shot and was taken to a hospital. Witnesses said the gunman shot Sytin and his bodyguard and then casually walked back to a motorcycle that was being driven by an accomplice. Zubiri said Senator Grace Poe was “al-

Kian’s killers... From A1

‘Stairway...

‘Carpio...

From A1

The agency was supposed to formally open the steel bridge last Nov. 15 but later decided to postpone the launch and redesigned the P10-million structure following a rash of criticism from newspaper columnists and netizens. “We’re just finishing the additional features of the bridge and we have a deadline next month. We’re expecting to open it to the public on Dec. 15,” said MMDA chief information officer Sharon Gentalian. Gentalian said that in the new design, the MMDA added another landing platform on the footbridge so that pedestrians will not find it too steep. The MMDA had said that the footbridge will be redesigned to add railings and landings but its height will remain as this satisfies the MRT management’s requirement for a five-meter clearance from its power lines. “Dinagdagan lang ng landing o platform. Pero same pa rin ang height,” said Gentalian. Last week, MMDA spokesperson and assistant secretary Celine Pialago asked the public not to worry about the safety and the structural integrity of the 10-meter high structure which was constructed above the Metro Railway Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) rails along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, near GMA-Kamuning station. Pialago made the appeal following the arrest of four construction workers of the bridge in a police anti-drug operation.

“Carpio refused the offer. So the next in rank is… Next in rank if you’re good,” Duterte said in Visayan, referring to Bersamin. Carpio earlier declined his nomination for top magistrate saying he did not want to benefit from the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice after voting against it. He has also repeatedly pushed for the government to assert the ruling of a UN tribunal that invalidated China’s claims over the West Philippine Sea, a stand that seemed to irk the President. “You keep on hankering that you’ll attack the—you do something. What do you want me to do? Arbitration, so I’ll order my military and the police to go there in Palawan and shoot it out?” Duterte asked. “It will be a massacre. We will not win there. We won’t get anything from it.” At the Palace, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Carpio’s reasons for turning down the nomination in July should still hold true today. “In the first place, the justice then declined the nomination for the reason that he didn’t want to take advantage of the ouster of Sereno. So, following the same logic, he should also decline the nomination now,” Panelo said. He added that Duterte thought that Carpio would reject the nomination to be the country’s next top magistrate as the justice previously declined the nomination to replace Sereno. “It’s still the same because the ouster of Sereno triggered vacancies, right? Following that logic, he will be taking advantage [again of the vacancies],” he said.

DDS... From A1

“I think the President was just bringing an idea, and if that idea becomes a reality, as Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana said, the army will be in charge of that,” said Panelo in a Palace press briefing Thursday. Panelo said Duterte thought of creating the DDS because of his responsibility not to let soldiers and policemen die at the hands of communist rebels without putting up a fight. “He is duty-bound by the Constitution to protect them. It is included in his duties to protect and ensure the safety of the public and men who enforce the law,” he added. He also said the formation of the DDS would not violate the due process rights of suspects. “Why are you violating due process? You’re running after criminals. You’re running after people who will assassinate us, so how can that be? You will even prevent it from happening,” he said. “We have a situation here where there is a group of men who will kill with impunity. What do you want the state to do, just sit idle and watch? We cannot do that,” he added. He also dismissed the possibility that the presence of a state-recognized death squad would encourage a culture of impunity where civilians might take the law into their hands and follow the President’s mindset to take out their enemies. “No, I don’t think it will encourage [that]. In fact, people will be relieved that there is such. If this idea becomes a reality where there will be someone who will protect us from those who want to kill us. If it were me, I would be happy,” Panelo said. Nat Mariano and Maricel V. Cruz

Carpio named Agri dept asec; Lizada to CSC PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has promoted Assistant Agriculture Secretary Waldo Carpio, the brother of his son-inlaw Manases “Mans” Carpio, to Agriculture undersecretary, according to the appointment papers released by Malacañang on Thursday. Duterte has close ties with Waldo as he was one of the principal sponsors of Waldo’s wedding two years ago. The following year, he decided to name Waldo as assistant Agriculture secretary. Both Mans and Waldo are nephews of former Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales. The Palace documents also said Duterte has named Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board official Aileen Lizada as a commissioner of the Civil Service Commission. Lizada, known for being an outspoken member of the LFTRB’s board of trustees, will now be among the CSC commissioners led by CSC Chairwoman Alicia dela Rosa Bala. She is expected to take the place of CSC Commissioner Robert Martinez. The other new appointees were Carim Lawi Panumpang as undersecretary at the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Allan Batarra Gepty as assistant secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry, Maria Teresita Cruz Daza as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chile, with concurrent jurisdiction over Ecuador and Peru, and Alexander Bangsoy as a member of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation’s board. The President also appointed Ruth Marie Isip Equipaje and Cesar De Guzman Aljama as board members of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation. Nat Mariano

Anti-Du30... From A1

Andaya made his statement even as Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday insisted that the P60-million allocation for each member of the House of Representatives in next year’s proposed P3.75-trillion national budget was pork, and that a “blessed few” might get even more. “They excised P20 billion from the proposed national budget and appropriated P60 M to each of their 297 members, probably more to a blessed few since a simple computation tells me there is an excess of P2.17 billion,” Lacson said in a text message to reporters. “If that isn’t pork, tell me what is.” Andaya made his statement in response to the claim of ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio that their group does not receive pork as their members do not ask for it. “If they do not want to make use of such funds, then we will not force them to do so,” Andaya said. He said the millions of pesos in congressional entitlements for each 297 lawmakers were intended for a specific purpose, and did not require post- enactment interventions by congressmen. He said the House leadership under Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was observing the “underlying principle” that “no district will be left behind,” and so “all will get a piece of the pie.” Andaya said congressmen were duly elected representatives of the people. “The people vote for them because they trust them. So that was the reason there was an equitable distribution of funding for each legislative district. And it’s not to the congressmen.”

Prized... From A1

Jaime Ponce de Leon, director of Leon Gallery, confirmed to ABS-CBN that he received a letter from NHCP acting Executive Director Ludovico Badoy, requesting that he keep the items off the auction so the agency could ask Congress to include their cost in its 2019 budget. The historical collection could cost the government millions, as Ponce de Leon said starting bids for the items range from P50,000 to P1 million each for the most important documents. For comparison, Bonifacio’s personal flag ― sewn by his wife, Gregoria de Jesus―sold for almost P10 million last September, and his last letter to de Jesus went for P5.256 million at Leon last March. The two most important documents among the eight already up for public preview are the Acta de Tejeros and the Acta de Naik or the Naik Military Agreement. The former was signed by Bonifacio and 44 others important personalities in the Philippine Revolution. “Written and signed on the day after the tumultuous Tejeros Convention, this was Bonifacio’s outraged response to [Emilio] Aguinaldo’s election as president,” Leon Gallery said of the Tejeros paper. Meanwhile, the Naik document “takes the Acta de Tejeros a step further―it proclaims, says noted Katipunan scholar Jim Richardson that some leaders (meaning but not naming Emilio Aguinaldo) have betrayed the revolution,” the gallery description added. The six other items, as Leon Gallery described them, are: An anonymous letter of a Katipunero to D. Hairdo S. Jose; “relating the ‘secret’ causes of the feud between General Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio”;

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Senators back bid to restore DOH budget By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATORS have thrown their support to the initiative of Senator JV Ejercito to restore the P36-billion budget slashed from the P109.8-budget of the Department of Health with the impending enactment into law of the Universal Health Care measure. Acknowledging the need for sustainable funding, Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said it would be difficult to implement the program without enough funding. Zubiri said that while they had committed to make health care and services accessible to all Filipinos, this cannot be properly carried out without sufficient funding. Speaking in yesterday’s regular “Kapihan sa Senado,” Zubiri said Finance committee chairperson Senator Loren Legarda had promised to return the funds cut from the next year’s budget of the DOH. “Senator Loren has promised to look for some funding,” Zubiri said. Ejercito, the principal author and sponsor of the UHC bill in the Senate underscored te need for steady funds even as he lamented that the budget cut ln the DOH national capital outlay was a very bad timing and a “ step backward” for the UHC.” In a related development, advocates of Sin Tax Coalition have thrown their support to the DOH position to increase taxes on tobacco and alcohol, since funds from PhilHealth will not be enough to fully cover the country’s healthcare delivery system. According to Philhealth Independent Director Dr. Anthony Leachon, a marginal increase in funding will only generate a small amount of revenue, which will be insufficient to finance the UHC program. “We are afraid that the UHC rollout will not happen next year because of lack of funding. This is politically unacceptable to the electorate whose expectations for improved health care have been heightened by the promise of expanded health coverage and increased health benefits,” he added.

Cops in abduction, robbery cases give up By Joel E. Zurbano THE seven wanted Las Piñas City police officers involved in the alleged abduction and robbery-extortion case last week surrendered to the Southern Police District, an SPD official announced on Thursday. The case had prompted Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar to order the relief of Las Piñas City police commander Marion Balonglong and 36 of his men assigned to the police station’s Drug Enforcement Unit. SPD spokesperson Jenny Tecson said the seven police officers assigned to the Las Piñas SDEU team gave themselves up a week after Eleazar directed the SPD to conduct a manhunt operation against the suspects. First to surrender was Police Officer 1 Erickson Rivera who reported to the office of NCRPO Regional Intelligence Unit chief Ruel de Leon. The six other suspects—PO3 Joel Lupig, PO2 Vener Guanlao, PO1 Mark Jefferson Fulgencio, PO1 Jeffrey T De Leon, PO2 Jayson M Arrelano and PO1 Raymart Gomez—with relatives and lawyers in tow, voluntarily surrendered on Wednesday to SPD director Eliseo Cruz. “Further, the 36 former SDEU personnel of Las Piñas were relieved on Nov. 22 from their post to pave way to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the SPD as a result of the alleged involvement of their seven (7) colleagues who were earlier identified,” said Tecson. She added that the seven police personnel were “already disarmed of their service firearms and were already put into restrictive custody effective yesterday.”

TIME CAPSULE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte lays in the time capsule as he leads the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Panguil Bay Bridge in Tubod, Lanao del Norte on Nov. 28, 2018. Assisting the President is Lanao del Norte Second District Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo. Presidential Photo

Disqualified telco bidder fails to get TRO from SC By Rey Requejo

HE Supreme Court did not issue an immediate relief prayed for by the Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. to stop the government from awarding the third telco slot to Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co.

In a resolution, the SC deferred its ruling on the appeal of PT&T for immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order to prevent the National Telecommunications Commission from closing the bidding process and officially award the franchise to the consortium of Udenna Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy and China Telecom, the last-standing and only qualified bidder. Instead, the high court directed the respondent NTC to file its comments before ruling on the urgent prayer in the petition filed by PT&T earlier this month. The SC gave NTC 10 days from receipt of notice to answer the petition and submit its comment. PT&T had filed the petition before the

Chong quizzed on ‘leaked data’ By Rio N. Araja

EX-BILIRAN Rep. Glenn Chong, who was disowned by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as one of his lawyers, has a lot of explaining to do why the leaked data from Ragay, Camarines Sur was in his possession. Vice Leni Robredo through lawyer Romulo Macalintal, ﬁled an urgent motion with the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to look into the leaked data and summon Chong to shed light. “Despite his lengthy discussion on why he should not be held accountable for the data in his possession, Attorney Glenn Chong still managed not to address the issue,” Macalintal said. Macalintal questioned Chong’s claim that the audit logs were obtained from the camp of ex-Camarines Sur Luis Villafuerte Sr. of District 3.

Ex-DILG chief backs return of ROTC FORMER Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan, a senatorial aspirant in the 2019 mid-term election, on Thursday backed the return of the Reserved Ofﬁcers Training Course. At news conference in Quezon City, Alunan said even the programs for the Citizenship Advancement Training for high school students, and Girl Scout and Boy Scout for elementary pupils must be made mandatory. “We support the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to revive the ROTC, and make the CAT, and Girl Scout and Boy Scout a mandatory requirement since they are all related to one another,” he told reporters. Alunan added that Defense Secretary

SC after it was disqualified by the NTC on the bidding proceedings last Nov.7. In its petition for certiorari filed through lawyers from Zamora and Poblador Law Offices, PT&T asked the SC to “nullify its disqualification from the selection process by the NMP [New Major Player] Selection Committee.” It accused the selection committee that disqualified it of “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.” The 56-year-old firm specifically challenged the NTC’s definition of national scale, which became the basis for its disqualification. The NTC rules defined national scale as having telco operations “for a country or particularly regions thereof as geo-

graphically designated by the telecommunications authority of that country.” PT&T questioned the position of the selection committee that having regional operations only referred to foreign companies. Since the petitioner was unable to obtain a certification that it had 10 years of operations on a national scale- a key requirement under the bidding rules—it was disqualified and its bid documents remain sealed. Aside from voiding the NTC order disqualifying it from the bidding, PT&T likewise asked the Supreme Court to order the NTC and the Selection Committee to secure its sealed bid documents to preserve the integrity of the bidding process. Petitioner asked the Court to have its bid documents opened, believing it should be awarded the third telco slot because its offer was higher than that of Mislatel Consortium. The NTC has already confirmed Mislatel Consortium as provisional third telco player in a confirmation order issued last week.

Delﬁn Lorenzana is the right person to implement the return of the mandatory ROTC. Alunan, a Cabinet secretary under the Ramos administration, is running for senator under the Bagumbayan party. “Should I get elected, I will reﬁle the bill bringing back the mandatory ROTC in college,” he said, adding that ROTC could help develop the youth's leadership skills, open their eyes to military science tactics, and instill in them patriotism and love for the country. “Don’t prepare when the emergency is already there,” he said. “Readiness is the word here.” The ROTC is currently offered as an optional program under the National Service Training Program in college. Rio N. Araja

LIGHTNING RALLY. Members of the Kabataang Makabayan hold a lightning rally to commemorate the group’s 54th year anniversary in Morayta, Sampaloc, Manila. Norman Cruz

BOC acts on Sokor garbage By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Customs is taking immediate action to transport tons of garbage back to South Korea which was imported and misdeclared as plastic synthetic flakes that arrived at the Mindanao International Container Port. Customs spokesperson Erastus Austria said the more than 5,000 tons of rotting plastic and household wastes arrived in the country on Oct. 21, 2018 which was consigned to Verde Soco Philippines. Austria met with officials of the environmental health and justice group EcoWaste Coalition, saying they already held talks with the South Korean government to fasttrack the transport of waste shipments which came from Pyeongtaek City, South Korea. Cagayan de Oro Port district Collector Floro Calixihan said that Minister Counselor Sunyoung Kim of the Embassy of Korea said that it would do its best to prevent the occurrence of similar incident in the future and to fully cooperate with the Philippine government to resolve the issue smoothly. Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has likewise ordered an investigation on the matter. Twice, Verde Soko brought into the country waste materials from South Korea. The first time was when it imported a shipload containing 5,176.91 metric tons of various plastic and waste materials declared as plastic synthetic flakes and the second when it brought in 51 forty-footer containers also declared as plastic synthetic flakes. "We will insist the Basel Convention of 1989 wherein malinaw po na sinasabi doon na any illegally trafficked waste should go back to the point of origin," Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.

Rody vouches for Orbos’ congressional bid FORMER Transportation Undersecretary Thomas “Tim” Orbos is gearing up for the congressional seat of the ﬁrst district of Pangasinan, the province that has raised great leaders like former President Fidel V. Ramos and illustrious legislators such as former House Speakers Eugenio Perez and Jose de Venecia, Senators Cipriano Primicias, Geronima Pecson, Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Senate President Pro Tempore Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Jeremias Montemayor, Jacobo Clave, Vicente Millora, and Hernani A. Braganza. No less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed conﬁdence in Orbos’ capabilities and assured Orbos full support in his bid for a seat in the House of Representatives. “Kaya mo iyan, ha! Huwag kang titigil. Huwag kang kabahan. Ako

ang bahala. Basta ituloy mo ang laban,” Duterte told Orbos, former Transportation undersecretary. Orbos, younger brother of former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos comes from a family of public servants. His father Guillermo Orbos was a government ofﬁcial while his mother Concepcion Orbos was a public-school teacher. He is also the younger brother of a man of God, Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD. Educated at the Ateneo de Manila University and armed with post-graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Georgetown University, Orbos has put into practice what he learned in the various government posts he was appointed in. Although these appointments were in

the executive branch of government, his close to 30 years in public service has afforded him the opportunity to witness how the legislature works. He has worked as Special Assistant to then Congressman Oca Orbos and has been invited to Congressional and Senate hearings while in government which gave him an insight of how the branches of government works. “It has given me the valuable insight on how co- equal branches of government work side by side to create, refine and define laws that are for the good of our country and assures the necessary checks and balances are in place,” he said. “It has taught me how to come in prepared; consult with stakeholders; how to be patient and how to sufficiently respond and comply with our legislative counterparts,” he added.

Opinion

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Atin ‘to’ : UP’s fight to the top the blue-shirted Falcons as well. Not to mention the 20,000-plus crowd who CROSSROADS braved traffic and the heat to shout their hearts out for their teams. JONATHAN Fighting for a cause, fighting for DE LA CRUZ country and people, fighting to win at all costs. This is what makes peoIT IS fitting that as the nation marks ple disciplined, united and courageous Bonifacio Day today, Nov. 30, people against all odds. This is what a councontinue to talk about the UP Fighting try and a people need to survive, move Maroons. Yes, the UP Men’s Basketball on and level up to its fullest potentials. Team, which snatched victory from the This is what we as a people need to do jaws of defeat in that do-or-die game every waking hour if we are to survive against the vaunted Adamson Univer- as a strong, progressive and united nasity squad with the fighting heart of a tion. In much the same way this is what organizations, clubs and teams ought to champion. Opo. It is UP, respected institution of have for results. For all intents and purposes, if the learning, whose basketball team’s last trip to the UAAP finals was 32 years pundits are to be believed, Adamson ago with stars like Benjie Paras, Ronnie U was destined for the finals. They Magsanoc and Eric Altamirano, all of had one of the best, if not the best, line whom have since starred in and finally up among the UAAP teams. Perhaps, even better than retired from prodefending chamfessional basketpion Ateneo. With ball. That’s how a barrel chested, long the drought Fighting for a cause, sweet shooting has been for UP center in Papi which made last ﬁghting for country and Sarr, formidable W e d n e s d a y ’ s people, ﬁghting to win forwards in Sean sweep of Adamat all costs. Manganti and son University Jerick Alhamisi, even sweeter. and dependable “The burden is guards in Lastinot winning the mosa, Camacho game. It’s all about making an impact on a community that is hungry for and Magbuhos, it was dream team of winning, “ teary-eyed UP Coach Bo sorts. Even the team’s second squad Perasol was overheard as saying at the is considered more experienced than say, University of the East or National sound of the final buzzer. Indeed, if the attendance in this sem- University. And, best of all, they had a ifinal match was any indication, there highly respected championship coach was no denying the hunger that the UP in Franz Pumaren. In fact, when the community had. Of the 15,000 or so team was on its way to sweeping the who gone to the Mall of Asia arena for first round the betting was this was gothe first game, fully three-fourths were ing to be the team to beat already. But, as fate would have it, they had a from UP. It was the same ration in last Wednesday’s match at the Araneta Col- fighting team to bawl over if they were iseum which registered a record 21,000 to reach the finals. And what a team. attendees. The Fighting Maroons did Given up for good at the end of the first round, the Fighting Maroons had to not disappoint. Echoing skipper Paul Desiderio’s claw their way back into contention as fighting mantra “Atin ‘To” (This One’s they got into the middle of the second For Us), the team showed to all and round. After a so-so start in this final sundry what they, at bottom, are made round they managed to win their last of—fighters, soldiering on, to the end. three games punctuated by a rout of a And not just the men in maroons but Turn to A5

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Bold and brave ILIPINOS see their heroes differently.

There are the “intellectual” heroes—thinkers who met in secret and expressed their outrage through their writing. They were learned and used their advantage in protest and change the plight of their suffering compatriots. And then there are the skillful negotiators and mediators who navigate through the murky waters of politics and human behavior. There are strategists who led the country in times of conflict. They made sacrifices for their troops and for the country, and even though they did not see the results of their selfless acts, they are remembered nonetheless. And then there is Andres Bonifacio, whose birth anniversary we commemorate

today. Bonifacio was a prominent figure in the Philippines’ struggle to break free from the clutches of the colonial master. His humble means did not deter him from leading men and women alike in the quest for freedom. We picture him holding his bolo and uttering rallying cries. He reminded his companions that love for country and fellowmen is enough to make them fight on, anyway, despite looming uncertainty and danger. We remember Bonifacio’s passion today, amid challenging times. We are nominally free from the clutches of colonizers but we continue to struggle in asserting what is rightfully ours and the rights we are entitled to. Problems of our own doing

and which we have left unaddressed have festered over decades. There remain entrenched cultures of corruption and patronage. The people keep electing those who portray themselves as larger than life instead of those who simply show up to do the work, no fuss. We see the people who are supposed to be protecting us and we wonder whether they indeed will instead of causing us more harm. We are at a loss in determining who is telling the truth and who are peddling lies. These are reasons why Bonifacio’s virtues of boldness and bravery continue to be relevant today. We should be bold enough to question and not be deterred by possibilities of harm that can befall us—so long as love of country and fellow Filipinos drives us.

Assets to the administration knew what he needed and wanted— a well-versed foreign secretary who would more than mouth his stand on international issues. ALEJANDRO This could have been the reason DEL ROSARIO Senior Associate Justice Antonio CONGRATULATIONS to Lucas Ber- Carpio didn’t make it as chief magistrate. Carpio’s and Duterte’s position samin and Teodoro Locsin Jr. Bersamin said he does not person- on the South China Sea issue are on ally know appointing power President opposite poles. Carpio who was desRodrigo Duterte and was surprised by ignated acting chief justice after the his elevation as Chief Justice of the retirement of CJ Teresita Leonardo de Supreme Court. In his first interview Castro was consistent in his view that with media, Bersamin pledged that the the government must protect its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. judiciary would remain independent. Locsin, on the other hand, easily He felt that the President was too soft hurdled the bicameral Commission on on his Chinese friends. But then, who Appointments. Prior to his appoint- can argue against a P95-billion loan ment as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, that China has signed with the Philippines to fund the Locsin was our country’s infraambassador to the structure projects United Nations in such as new elNew York. He reBersamin evated roads, and placed Alan Peter and Locsin face bridges to solve Cayetano who reMetro Manila’s signed as SFA to challenging times. monstrous traffic seek a seat at the problem. For sure House of RepreFilipinos worry sentatives with an more about the eye on the speakership. traffic trap than the debt trap some Locsin’s appointment as the counsectors are concern about. try’s top diplomat is a welcome change Bersamin’s pledge of judicial indeafter Cayetano and after Perfecto pendence augurs a refreshing wind of Yasay, who was removed because of change coming after chief magistrates his questionable citizenship. Yasay Renato Corona, Maria Lourdes Sereno lived as a resident in the United States and Teresita de Castro. Corona was and did not disclose that he had acousted in a Senate impeachment trial quired American citizenship. Exposed while Sereno was removed in a quo for his duplicity, the CA rejected his warranto proceeding filed by Solicitor nomination. General Jose Calida. De Castro who As a speech writer for Philippine replaced Sereno, served for only three presidents, Locsin is a wide reader and his world view will surely serve him months as she reached retirement age. Bersamin will also retire in Ocin good stead. This skill was honed in his stint at the United Nations despite tober 2019. By then, Duterte would the fact that he served only for a short already have someone in mind not term. President Duterte apparently Turn to A5

BACK CHANNEL

EVERYMAN

Will justice finally prevail?

By Val Abelgas MORE than nine years ago, in the morning of Nov. 23, 2009, a convoy of six vehicles, including two carrying 32 journalists, rolled out from Buluan town in Maguindanao to accompany the wife of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu who was set to file her husband’s certificate of candidacy for governor of Maguindanao in the Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak. Mangudadatu, who said he received reports that he would be chopped off if he filed his certificate of candidacy, had sent his wife, lawyers and relatives, mostly women, and requested 37 media members to witness the filing in the hope that his rival, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of the powerful Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., would not dare touch a group of women and journalists. He was wrong. The 58-member convoy was stopped by more than 100 armed men, believed

to be members of the Ampatuans’ dreaded private army and militia men, as they neared Shariff Aguak, herded and brought to a hill in Ampatuan town where they were executed and later buried in shallow graves, some of

The reason that the culture of impunity continues is because nothing has been done to make the wheels of justice run faster.

them still inside their vehicles. The wife of Mangudadatu was reportedly slapped and shot in close range allegedly by Ampatuan Jr. himself while some of the other women, including four female journalists, were

reported to have been raped before being shot to death by Ampatuan’s men. The first people to arrive at the scene saw several bodies still lying near the vehicles with the others half-buried on the Ampatuan hill as the operator of the provincial government-owned heavy equipment fled after seeing a helicopter hovering above. It was a horrifying scene, described by the International Crisis Group as “one of the worst acts of political violence in modern Philippine history, and the largest number of journalists slain on a single day ever, anywhere in the world.” “This looks like Rwanda,” Peruvian forensics expert Jose Pablo Baraybar was quoted as having described the massacre site. Baraybar was referring to the tiny African nation where 800,000 Tutsis were killed by Hutu militiamen at the height of a civil war in 1994. We are narrating the events of that fateful day based on the accounts of Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Ofﬁce, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Opinion

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

My BizNewsAsia speech (2)

Sinophobia

Despite the proliferation of such awards, those of BizNewsAsia remain much sought after, because we know our awardees at heart. The awards we give tonight do not make our awardees any more distinguished nor do they enhance their reputation. In fact, the opposite is true. It is they, who enhance our magazine’s stature and make us standout above the rest.

that a person is to be judged, not by his own character and actions, but by the characters and actions of a collective of ancestors. ERIC JURADO Racism claims that the content of a person’s mind (not his ability to think, ACCORDING to the 2017 Pew Re- understand, or learn, but his mind’s search Poll’s Views on China, 40 per- content) is inherited; that a person’s cent of Filipinos have an unfavorable convictions, values, and character view. are determined before he is born, by I am also seeing a lot of negative physical factors beyond his control. posts or sentiments on social media on This is the caveman’s version of the the growing number of Chinese tour- doctrine of innate ideas—or of inherists, workers, and investors. ited knowledge—which has been thorA sentiment against China, its peo- oughly refuted by philosophy and sciple, overseas Chinese, or Chinese ence. Racism is a doctrine of, by and culture is called Sinophobia. It of- for prehistoric brutes. It is the early ten targets Chinese minorities living village and farm version of collectivoutside of China and is complicated ism, appropriate to a mentality that by the dilemma of immigration, the differentiates between various breeds development of national identity in of animals, but not between animals neighboring countries, the disparity and human beings. of wealth, the fall of the past central Racism invalidates the specific tribute system, and majority-minority attribute which distinguishes a person relations. Factors contributing to Sino- from all other living species: his phobia include the disapproval of the rational faculty. Racism negates two Chinese government, historical griev- aspects of a person’s life: Reason and ances, fear of economic competition, choice, or mind and morality, replacing and plain and simple racism. them with chemical predestination. Sinophobia also stems from older Like every other form of collectivethnic tensions, such as those related ism, racism is a quest for the unearned. to Japanese naIt is a quest for tionalism, Korean automatic knowlnationalism, Inan edge—for dian nationalism, automatic evaluVietnamese naation of a perA genius is a genius, tionalism, and, of regardless of the son’s character course, Filipino that bypasses number of morons who nationalism and the responsibilour long Western belong to the same ity of exercising colonial history. rational or moral race—and a moron is a The Chinese moron, regardless of the judgment—and, were once known all, a quest number of geniuses who above as the Yellow for an automatic Peril—a racist share our racial origin. self-esteem. c olo r- m e t a pho r Today, racism that is integral to is regarded as a the xenophobic crime if practiced theory of colonialism: that the people by a majority—but as an inalienable of China are a danger to the Western right if practiced by a minority. That’s world. As a psycho-cultural percep- what the 40 percent are doing. The tion of menace from the East, fear of irony is the notion that one’s culture the Yellow Peril was more racial than is superior to all others solely because national, a fear derived, not from con- it represents the traditions of one’s ancern with a specific source of danger, cestors, is regarded as aggressive nafrom any one country or people, but tionalism or patriotism if claimed by a from a vaguely ominous, existential majority—but as “ethnic” or Filipino fear of the vast, faceless, nameless pride if claimed by a minority. Resisthorde of yellow people opposite the ance to change and progress is regardWestern world. As a form of xeno- ed as reactionary if demonstrated by a phobia, the Yellow Terror is the fear majority—but retrogression to a preof the rising tide of colored people Spanish village, to an American Indifrom the Orient. an tepee, or to the tropical rainforest is Racism is the lowest, most crudely hailed if demonstrated by a minority. primitive form of collectivism. It We must be reminded that, Filipino is the notion of ascribing moral, or Chinese, a genius is a genius, resocial, or political significance to a gardless of the number of morons who person’s genetic lineage—the notion belong to the same race—and a moron that a person’s intellectual and is a moron, regardless of the number of characterological traits are produced geniuses who share our racial origin. and transmitted by his internal body chemistry. Which means, in practice, eric.jurado@gmail.com

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ IN THE age of the Internet, Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, Viber and Uber, half a generation is a long time for a magazine to exist. A publication like mine really has to be viable, sustainable, and incredibly resilient to last 17 years. What is the secret of BizNewsAsia? Simple answer: It focuses on the things that count—business, the economy, the Philippines. In the course of the last 17 years, at least four local magazines tried to copy my format—a newsweekly devoted to business and economic news. They all failed eventually and miserably. This year alone, two foreign branded business magazines folded up locally, their print version, that’s Entrepreneur and Forbes Philippines. Even BizNewsAsia’s own annual excellence awards have engendered copycats. PLDT has its Bossing Awards. Meralco has its own Luminary Awards. A Canadian with little else to do launched an Asia CEO Awards. Even the PCCI and Metrobank now have their own awards. Indeed, Now, nearly every business group or a big company or a foreign person has its own awards.

The awards we give do not make our awardees any more distinguished nor do they enhance their reputation. In fact, the opposite is true.

I know intimately most of the awardees. I have interviewed them or interacted with them. I met them when they were just starting or on their way or were very young. When we give out awards tonight, they are real awards because I’ve known my awardees by heart. I know their background and I can guaranty

for them. Some of them are my good advertisers like San Miguel, GMA7, Rustans Group with a hundred premium brands. And of course, SM Group and BDO. Some of them do not advertise at all. They probably hate competition. Some of them want to publish their press releases even if they do not advertise. That is life for me, give and take. That is the algorithm of life. Tonight’s event is our way of saying thank to you all. I also want to thank the most important people in life—my family, my children, and my grandchildren. Noreen Lopez, my daughter and her daughter Anika. Ciara Lopez my youngest daughter, my youngest child and her husband Mike Galang, an insurance, entrepreneur on his own right. They have two lovely sons, Rafa, six and Nacho, barely three. They are my pride and joy and my inspiration why I keep going on in spite of 36 years of occasional arthritis. I thanked my brother Vic Lopez, my senior editor. And my sister Lorna, who has just retired from the government. My dear friends thank you very much. To all my subscribers, please continue to subscribe. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Rusting on the roads, Madagascar’s classic cars trundle on... and on By Béatrice Debut ONCE a common sight across Europe, much-loved French cars from a bygone era rattle along the streets of Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, doing their duty as private vehicle, taxis or even police cars. The Renault 4L and the Citroen 2CV, which have made way for sleek younger models elsewhere, are still part of daily life on the Indian Ocean island, battling up its steep hills and wheezing towards top speed on its dusty main roads. “There’s no question of a car chase,” admitted one uniformed police officer sitting in his white 4L, complete with a rooftop beacon and police signage, parked on guard close to the presidential palace. “But it does have the advantage of not consuming much petrol,” he added. Nearby, in the shade of jacaranda trees, several other 4Ls and 2CVs serve as taxis waiting for customers. The two models are celebrated worldwide as masterpieces of design, representing Europe’s post-war boom and the explosion of car ownership— but their heyday has long passed. Rijason Randrianantoanina, a 37-year-old taxi driver, is proud of his “magnificent” 2CV, which he has owned for 16 years. “It was made in 1978, but it’s a solid car,” he said. The body is suffering from some patches of deep rust and the fuel gauge does not work anymore. The 2CV tank contains only 28 liters, and its driver must be a good judge of petrol usage. “I have a gauge in my head, you just

Will... From A4

some journalists and witnesses so that we may never forget the cruelty and barbarism of that infamous incident and in the hope that the government will finally do something to end the culture of violence and impunity in our country. A total of 197 were originally accused of multiple murders when the trials began in January 2010, but only 103 remain under trial, including prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr., and his brothers Zaldy Ampatuan and Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, the latter out on bail after the court granted him bail in January 2015. Twelve other surnamed Ampatuans are on the list of the accused. The patriarch, former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., was also included in the charge sheet but he died in detention on July 17, 2015. The trial court has already heard a total of 273 witnesses—166 for the prosecution and 107 for the defense. The transcripts of stenographic notes have reached 59 volumes, while the records of the cases are 129 volumes thick, plus 10 volumes of prosecution’s evidence. Some potential witnesses have reportedly been killed while others are missing. And yet, nine years and three admin-

have to get used to it,” he said. The ‘go-to’ mechanic Starting from the 1960s, 2CVs and 4Ls were imported into Madagascar from France and Belgium, while models were also assembled on the island until the 1980’s. It was while working at the Somacoa plant that Elysee Rakotondrakolona learnt to dismantle and erect the quirky 4L. He is now the go-to 4L mechanic in Antananarivo, in the busy, workingclass district of Antoamadinika. “The 4L can go where even modern 4x4s cannot go—because it takes only three people to lift it,” he said dryly. In his open-air garage, squeezed between an “aesthetic hairstyle” salon and a donut stand, the chassis of old 4Ls are piled on top of each other. Here, resourcefulness reigns supreme. “I take parts from Renault 5s for the front axle unit of the 4L,” said Rakotondrakolona, wearing blue work overalls almost as old as some of his wrecks. “Our national speciality as Madagascans is that when you see two pieces that look alike, we know how to adapt them. It is the ‘make-do-and-mend’ system.” The only problem that is unsolvable is a broken gearbox. “Then, there is nothing to do,” he said. Easy to repair, almost unbreakable and fuel efficient, the 2CV and 4L are well-adapted to survive in Madagascar. No official figures are available but thousands are still on the roads of the former French colony which is one of the world’s poorest countries, with al-

most four in five people living in grinding poverty. Back in the garage, a worker patiently straightens the dented bodywork of a 4L using a small hammering tool, while others remove the engine from an orange model to modify its chassis. ‘It goes everywhere’ One customer Bruno Rasolofomanantsoa, a rice farmer, had brought his 4L for a major operation by “doctor” Rakotondrakolona, who will transplant an engine into it from another car. Rasolofomanantsoa, in his 50s, uses his hard-working vehicle to carry fertilizer into his paddy fields, and he admires its simplicity. “If you have a problem in the middle of nowhere, to find out what is wrong, just open the hood,” he said. “But it does have the advantage of not consuming much petrol,” he added loyally. Riri, a taxi driver, is also happy under the hood of his trusty old Renault. “I repair it myself, I learnt on the job,” he explained, as he waited for customers near the palace. On his sign, one “N” in Antananarivo has fallen off. But his 4L, which dates from 1975, is always reliable. “It goes everywhere even when there is flooding because the ignition is high,” he said. Original spare parts are however increasingly rare, he laments. Traders have long imported parts from Europe, and Indo-Pakistanis settled in Madagascar have now got into the trade, said Riri. “We do not know if these are copies or not” he joked.

istrations since the gruesome murders, not one of the accused has been convicted. The Department of Justice said on Monday that Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes was expected to now set the promulgation of the case where she would decide whether to convict or acquit Ampatuan and the other accused. The decision, according to the DOJ, would most probably be reached in the first quartet of next year, as early as January. Year after year on the day of the massacre, Nov. 23, journalists and relatives of the victims light candles in the hope that it would move the government to give priority to the resolution of the case and, therefore, show that amid the darkness, the light of justice would eventually prevail. Will justice finally prevail? The need to render justice on this horrific incident becomes even more important and urgent in the wake of recent murders of media men that have increased the tally of unsolved media killings, and the recent upsurge of political violence ahead of the mid-term elections in May next year. Almost every week, we hear of mayors, vice mayors, councilors and other local politicians being ambushed or assassinated with the coming elections —expected to be bloodier because of the culture of violence and impunity that has been heightened by President Duterte’s reckless speeches—still six

months away. Convicting and rendering the harshest possible sentence on those found guilty of the Maguindanao massacre will hopefully send a strong signal to political warlords that they can no longer decide the outcome of elections by violence, and that the rule of law still prevails in the country. The culture of impunity will continue to cast a dark shadow over the country unless the government shows its resolve to arrest the suspects of media and political killings and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and in the fastest time possible. Finally finding justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre would be a good start. The reason that the culture of impunity continues is because nothing has been done to make the wheels of justice run faster. The Maguindanao massacre numbers are glaring: 58 dead, 9 years, 0 justice. Will it finally become 58 dead, 9 years, 103 guilty? Will the yearly candles finally bring justice into the light amid the darkness that has prevailed over our country for decades? valabelgas@aol.com Val Abelgas is a former managing editor of Manila Standard. He now lives in—and continues to write from—the United States.

FROM WHERE I STAND

‘Atin ‘to’:... From A4

tumbling De LaSalle squad to gain the third spot after Adamson. Thanks to what should now be dubbed the “fightingest” team in the 81st UAAP season anchored by Desiderio, versatile guards Juan Gomez de Liano, Jun Manzo and Diego Dario, forwards Ahby Gomez de Liano, Prado and Jaboneta and league MVP “Big Man” Bright Akhuete. And so, on to the finals for the UP team in what is now being billed as the “Battle of Katipunan”—again a battle which can only echo and essay the test of the courage, discipline and fighting will of our youth—in this patch of land which used to be wilderness, of sorts, and the battle ground for the many

Assets... From A4

to mention that he would have stacked the Supreme Court with more associate justices nominated by him. Bersamin will face several key issues in his court such as the extension of martial law in some parts of the country. Imposed in Mindanao because of terrorist threats marked by the siege of Marawi, there are concerns of a creeping martial law in the entire country being done on a piecemeal basis. President Duterte has allayed the people’s concern saying he is giving the military a wider role in running the country because of corruption in government agencies such as the Bureau of Customs and the lawless violence in the run-up to the midterm election in May next year.

battles, a good number of which were launched by the Katipunan more than a hundred years ago with the more recent being the Diliman Commune and sits ins, Down from the Hill pickets during the First Quarter Storm, all of which now immortalized in our history. It will not be easy for UP as it faces a defending champion that is equally gritty, talented and full of heart. But as Desiderio reiterated, “Atin ‘To”—whatever chance we have in the finals, we’re going to grab it. In the words of Perasol “..the road isn’t easy, you have to find the courage, the skills, talents and persistence to be in a place like this that we’re enjoying right now. It wasn’t an easy journey, but it’s all worth it..” Indeed, this UP team deserves their place in the Finals. This is their moment. Alarming though is the President’s plan to form the Davao Death Squad to fight the communist New People’s Army. The DDS became notorious for alleged extrajudicial killings during Digong’s long rule as Davao City mayor. Also on the Bersamin court will be the issue of Charter change and the proposal to switch to a federalist form of government. Other developments in the Duterte administration was the resignation of Jesus Dureza as head of the Office of the President on the Peace Process. Dureza quit on the principle of command responsibility when two of his key officials were dismissed by Duterte for alleged corruption. The President also fired Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Secretary-General Falconi Millar for alleged anomalies in the agency.

News

friday, November 30, 2018

PH, Kuwait authorities probe suicide of Filipina KUWAITI authorities, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, are investigating the alleged suicide of a Filipina household service worker in Sabahiya on Nov. 28, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. “The Department of Foreign Affairs expresses its condolences to the family of a Filipino worker who died after reportedly jumping from her employer’s residence in Kuwait,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato said Tuesday night. The agency did not identify the woman, except that she was from Isabela. According to Chargé d’Affaires Noordin Lomondot, the worker reportedly jumped off the third floor of her employer’s residence in Sabahiya. The DFA assured the victim’s next of kin in the Philippines of its assistance in the repatriation of her remains. The Filipina’s death follows an alleged suicide case of another overseas Filipino worker in United Arab Emirates last week. The 22-year-old Filipina was reported to have fallen off the third floor of a building in Ajman on Nov. 23, and was declared dead upon arrival at the Sheikh Khalifa Hospital. The Consulate General is coordinating with Ajman authorities in the investigation of her death and in the repatriation of her remains. PNA

In BrIef 2 Africans nabbed for fake passports TWO Europe-bound African nationals pretending to be Guatemalan citizens were apprehended by immigration officers in a separate foiled attempt at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The two, identified as Clarisse Madzo Chedjou, was apprehended upon her arrival from China while Mfamy Garcia Jefferson was about to leave for Taipei, Taiwan. BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said the two passengers were intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 1 for using counterfeit Guatemalan passports. “They are now detained at our detention facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending their prosecution for violating our immigration laws,” Medina said. “This is the latest in a series of interceptions involving aliens with fake passports,” he added. Vito Barcelo

LEADERS’ FORUM. Senate Committee on Climate Change and Foreign Relations chairman Senator Loren Legarda (center) huddles with SM Prime Holdings chairman Hans Sy (foreground)) and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and ARISE co-chairman, Mami Mizutori (left) in Thursday’s Top Leaders Forum 2018 where they unveiled Business Continuity Program for Small and Medium Enterprises at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Ey Acasio

DOH looks into suspected Sarangani measles outbreak

1,000 shelter units to be awarded

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

MARAWI CITY—Nearly 1,000 temporary shelter units will be awarded to families displaced by the Marawi siege last year, the provincial government said on Thursday. Vice Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong, Jr. said he had raised the possibility that convergent private groups and other aid partners might provide water tanks at the shelter site in Barangay Rorogagus here. Meanwhile, 17,000 internally displaced people have received financial assistance cards, through a “Shariah-compliant Inclusive and Affordable Financial Facilities for Resilient and Developed Filipinos (iAFFORD) Cards.” iAFFORD is part of convergent aid initiatives through the Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi Project, the Firm group said in a joint statement sent to Manila Standard on Wednesday. Of the 17,000 beneficiaries, 10,000 were “selected based on specific vulnerability criteria and [were included in] the cash assistance program,” the statement said. Adiong said the local government units of Lanao Sut and Marawi have been working with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and the Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. on having to “complete basic household needs at the Temporary IDP site” here. The Temporary Shelter is a joint project of the National Housing Authority and Tzu Chi Foundation, and is implemented by the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur. “I have asked PDRF and PCPPI the possibility of providing water tanks, health center equipment and livelihood projects at the shelter site,” Adiong said. The FIRM Project has been jointly undertaken by the OxfamPhilippines, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services, Inc. (IDEALS, Inc.), People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network Inc., Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation, Inc., Smart Padala, PayMaya, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, United Nations Development Programme. Nash B. Maulana

HE Department of Health is looking into the suspected measles outbreak in Sarangani province which affected 84 persons with 18 deaths as of Nov. 28. Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said the DOH swiftly acted during medical emergencies, such as suspected disease outbreaks in certain localities. “This is in response to its mandate of ensuring the safety of the public in times of emergencies to contain its effect and not to cause further stress to our fellowmen,” said Duque. He gave assurances the DOH was always ready to respond and provide the needed health service to the public. During the investigation, Duque said the response team was able to vaccinate

49 children aged 6 months to 12 years old with Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. They were able to immunize an additional 246 children, also with MMR vaccine, during the second deployment. Age range of these suspected measles cases were from 4 months to 40 years old where majority are females. But only 18 (30 percent) of them were physically checked up by a physician, while the rest were based on verbal accounts of the relatives and barangay officials.

INTERNET FRAUD ARRESTS. NCRPO

Railway project to start in May CLARK Freeport, Pampanga—The government announced Thursday the construction of the P211.7-billion project PNR Phase II of the ClarkMalolos City railway system would start in May 2019 to support Central Luzon as center of growth and development of the country. Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation said the PNR Clark North project composed of 53 kilometers was now undergoing final engineering detail and design prior to the start of its construction next May. Speaking before Sulong Filipinas 2018 Philippines Development Forum here, Tugade also said that the project would be jointly financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Romeo Dizon

Save the Children raises concern SAVE the Children Philippines raised concern on the poor enforcement of Milk Code in the last three decades that requires exclusive breastfeeding for babies up to six months. The problem has contributed to rising cases of stunting and malnutrition among children, now at 3.3 million and 850,000, respectively, it said in a statement. At the Policy Forum on Breastfeeding, Save the Children Philippines launched the research study titled: Barriers to Breastfeeding in the Philippines that showed a slight increase in the number of mothers who continue to breastfeed at 60 percent in 2017 compared to 51 percent in 2013 based on the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority. Macon Ramos-Araneta

All of the suspect cases have no history of measles. On Nov. 22, the serum specimen collected from 12 (20 percent) of these cases were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for Measles Confirmatory Test. The investigating team was composed of doctors and nurses from the municipal, provincial and regional offices. The cases, who belong to the B’laan Tribe, came from the different sitios (Lower Kyugam, Alna, Upper Kyugam, Mahayag, Lino, Alnaob, Datalnay, Kyugam, Mission, Klarak, and Dlandang) in Barangay Upper Suyan, municipality of Malapatan in Saranggani province. Common signs and symptoms for suspected measles typically include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat, followed by a rash that spread all over the body.

chief Guillermo Eleazar, together with Internet Fraud Watchdog, the US Homeland Security, and Pasig Police present to the media the arrested 32 people, eight of whom are foreigners, directly involved in the ‘boiler room’ at San Miguel Ave., Ortigas, Pasig City. A boiler room is place or operation where high-pressure salespeople use banks of telephones to call lists of potential investors to peddle speculative, even fraudulent, securities. Manny Palmero

Public reminded about cheaper, quality drugs AS THE country reels from the inflated prices of food and services and other essential needs, local drug companies Innogen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Getz Pharma (Phils.), Inc. and Zydus Healthcare Philippines, Inc. are reminding the public they have long made available the medications that provide effective yet very affordable relief to osteoarthritis, one of their major health problems. These medications are coxigen of Innogen Pharma, starcox of Getz Pharma and etoxi of Zydus Healthcare.

These three are innovative, generic versions of etoricoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine that counters the debilitating effects of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis that afflicts millions of Filipinos, especially those aged 60 and above. The three companies issued the reminder as they expressed concern over the financial burden imposed by this ailment on the poor, especially on those living in areas severely damaged by Typhoon “Rosita” in end-October, and

of Typhoon “Ompong” that also devastated various parts of the country just six weeks earlier. Osteoarthritis causes severe pain and prolonged swelling of joints in the hips, knees, hands, wrists, shoulders, neck and back. The condition can result in disability and is aggravated by excessive body weight, advanced age, injury to the joint, and the type of jobs that call for kneeling or lifting of heavy loads. In certain cases, the disease is caused by genetic or hereditary factors.

Pag-IBIG loan releases hit P7b in Oct.; marks highest ever non-Dec. disbursement PAG-IBIG Fund released P7.02 billion in home loans in October alone, helping 7,896 families acquire their own homes. The amount is the highest non-December monthly disbursement in the Fund’s 37-year history, it said in a press statement. “The performance of Pag-IBIG Fund in the last 10 months have been extraor-

dinary. Strong demand for our housing loans with the lowest rates and improved efficiency in internal processes have led to bigger home loan disbursements and more Filipino families being able to acquire decent shelter. This greatly contributes to the anti-poverty measures set by the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the BALAI Filipino

(Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable, and Inclusive Filipino Communities) program which is the prime initiative of the government’s key shelter agencies,” said Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, who heads both the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Pag-IBIG Fund Board. In the last 10 months, Pag-IBIG hous-

ing loan releases have exceeded set targets with loans amounting to P58.78 billion, which funded homes of 70,561 families. The amount of home loans released and number of borrowers from January to October are 15 percent and 11 percent higher than the P51.00 billion released to 63,496 families in the same period in 2017.

Sports Secret Spices Foods paces Wang’s caging SECRET Spices Foods took the solo lea d after two days of action in the Wang’s Basketball Chairman’s Cup, following back-to-back wins over Megaworld Asiatic and the Couriers, practically assuring itself of a finals’ seat in the tournament now on its 18th year. The Pablo Lucas-coached SS Foods squad took the measure of Megaworld Asiatic, 98-93, on opening day of the tourney at the Aquinas Gym in San Juan behind the duo of Rainier Kinga and Lacoste Lucas who scored 29 and 18 points, respectively. This was followed by a 114-106 victory over the Couriers last Wednesday, with the trio of Kinga, Lucas, and Janiel Ilac combining for 77 points SS Foods will go for a sweep tomorrow (Saturday) when it plays the Bankers, who are presently tied with Megaworld Asianic on similar 1-1 winloss records in the tournament backed by Royal Tern Ceramics, Union Bank, China Bank-Boni and Aquadys Inc. The other game will see Megaworld Asianic against the Couriers, which remain winless after two games. Megaworld Asianic rebounded from its opening day loss with a 10397 beating of the Bankers to even its record. The Bankers suffered its first loss after its opening day win against the Couriers, 111-101, a game that was decided by the 23 three point shots of the bankers led by Darryl Singontico with 23 points in that opening day. “Despite my team losing both games, I am happy at the turnout of this long -running tournament that we started way back and is open to all players who have at one time or another played for Wang’s Basketball,” said sportsmanbusinessman Alex Wang.

World Cup stars descend on S+A this December THE stars from the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Filipino pride Neil Etheridge of Cardiff City FC descend on ABSCBN S+A this December to offer a glittery holiday for local football fans. Etheridge and his Cardiff squad fire off the festivities when they take on Wolverhampton FC on Saturday (Dec. 1) live at 3:55 a.m. in an English Premier League match-up. On Sunday (Dec. 2) morning, World Cup Golden Ball winner Luka Modric will lead Real Madrid when they play host to Valencia in La Liga LIVE from the Santiago Bernabeu at 3:40 a.m. Banner football action shifts back to the EPL on Monday (Dec. 2) in the Merseyside Derby when Egypt’s football icon Mo Salah and his Liverpool Reds clash with Richarlison’s Everton club at Anfield LIVE at 12:10 a.m. on S+A. Later that week, on Saturday (Dec. 8), it’s the turn of Manchester United, bannered by Belgian star Romelu Lukkaku and Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, go head to head with Fulham and forward Aleksandar Mitrovic from the Red Devils home pitch live on S+A at 10:55 p.m. It will be followed by Spanish giant FC Barcelona’s match against Espanyol in another La Liga match-up, where the Azulgrana tries to widen the gap between them and the rest of the field with returning star Lionel Messi at 3:40 a.m. on Dec. 9, live on S+A. Meanwhile, Hurricane Harry Kane will star in Tottenham’s showdown with Burnley when the Hotspurs play hosts to the latter on Dec. 15, live at 10:55 p.m. Dec. 16 looks to be a big day as two EPL giants test each other’s mettle when Salah and Lukkaku try to outgun each other in leading Liverpool and Manchester United in Anfield, live on S+A at 11:55 p.m. Two days before Christmas here in the Philippines, Dec. 23, Manchester United will also play Neil Etheridge’s Cardiff squad live on S+A at 1:25 a.m. Action will shift to Italy’s premier football league, Serie A, when storied clubs Inter Milan and Napoli face off as they jostle for position behind leagueleading Juventus. Napoli leads Inter by just a hair and star forward Mauro Icardi wants those three points over their rivals led by Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne when the match airs live on S+A on Dec. 27 at 3:20 a.m. S+A and LIGA, sports channels of ABS-CBN Sports, were the country’s official broadcasters of the recent the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. S+A also airs selected matches and highlight shows from top European club football leagues such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and Italian Serie A through a partnership with Hong Kong-based holdings company Triple CH, as part of ABS-CBN Sports’ efforts to promote love and appreciation for the most popular sport in the world in the Philippines.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS

Extreme weather a ‘major issue’ T

OKYO—The possibility of extreme summer heat and typhoons in Tokyo is a “major issue” for the 2020 Olympics, a top ofﬁcial said Thursday, admitting there would be a knockon effect on the budget. Speaking to bosses from Olympic Committees around the world, Tokyo CEO Toshiro Muto said the Japanese capital had endured “unprecedented heat weather and typhoons last summer.” “Tokyo 2020 considers those as major issues,” said Muto, adding that organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were working together on ways to mitigate the impact on athletes and fans. IOC chief Thomas Bach said on Wednesday that medical experts were proposing measures to protect

competitors and supporters throughout the Games. Tokyo sweltered through a series of deadly heatwaves last summer, raising concerns for the wellbeing of athletes, especially competitors of endurance events such as the marathon and race walking. Organizers have already brought forward the marathon start time to 7am to get cooler conditions but officials are considering bringing the event even further forward. Japanese medical groups have sug-

gested that failure to start the marathon earlier could “lead to deaths” from heatstroke. When Japan last hosted the Olympics, in 1964, the Games were held in October to avoid the country’s stifling summer humidity and heat. Muto said he would transmit weather data to national Olympic Committees to help their athletes prepare for the conditions they are likely to face. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Muto acknowledged that measures to beat the heat had increased demands on the budget. Organizers plan countermeasures from solar-blocking paint on roads to mobile misting stations. The CEO said that while the heat countermeasures could boost the bud-

get, Tokyo 2020 had been able to make cuts in other areas. Tokyo 2020 was “absolutely determined” that the next version of the budget, due to be unveiled next month, would not exceed the $12.6 billion earmarked last year to pay for the Games, Muto said. The CEO laid out a rosy picture of preparations for the Games, with just more than 600 days to go until the Opening Ceremony. “Venue construction is on track and will be completed in time for the test events,” which will take place in the runup to the Games. IOC chief Thomas Bach said Wednesday: “I do not remember any host city which was so far in its preparations two years before the Olympic Games than Tokyo.” AFP

MaxBox leads winners in Globe PPGL grand finals

AAA 90th COUNCIL MEETING--The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association hosted the 90th Council Meeting of the Asian Athletics Association recently at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. Some of the attendees are AAA President Dhalan Al-Hamad of Qatar (fifth from left), and Dr. Philip Ella Juico, PATAFA President and AAA Vice President (sixth from left). Among the issues tackled by the Council was coaches’ and technical officials’ skills enhancement and development.

Senate Advocates, PLDT Digital make finals IT’S now down to a battle of two undefeated teams. PLDT Digital will be duking it out with defending champ Senate Advocates for the Makabansa Basketball League Season 2 Championship in a best-of-three series, beginning Dec. 4 at the Meralco Fitness Center. Seeded one and two, respectively, PLDT Digital and the Senate Advocates dismantled the third seed, Meralco Linemen in the round-robin elimination game. PLDT whipped Meralco, 87-79, banking on a blistering pace and a lead that went as high as 30 to finish their elimination campaign with a clean 5-0 slate. Meanwhile, the Senate Advocates had to endure a slugfest against the same Meralco Linemen on Nov. 22 en route to an 83-74 win. Fueling their victory was their great poise and a strong second half push to close out the Linemen. As with PLDT Digital, the Senate Advocates finished with an identical 5-0 record, entering the finals for the second straight year. The MBL is a basketball tournament involving teams from different government offices and private groups formed to promote health and wellness, and foster camaraderie amongst the participants. Through sportsmanship and healthy competition, the MBL aims to solidify partnerships in and among the public and private sectors to better serve the public. At the start of the tournament, each team chose a beneficiary, with the winning teams’ beneficiaries receiving cash prizes as a donation. MBL Season 2 is powered by KOTC Sports Organizing Services Inc. and is proudly sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Pazifik Power Inc., Corporate

PLDT’s Nick Encarnacion (9) goes up for a layup, while Meralco’s Roger Nacpil (27) and Perry Dominguez (11) defend.

Holdings Management Inc., ANC The Championship Series will be held Group of Companies, and Tanduay at the MERALCO Fitness Center on the Distillers, Inc. following dates.

IT WAS a weekend of nail-biting matches as rivalries and rematches took center stage at the recentlyconcluded Globe PPGL Season 3 Grand Finals. The best teams and fighters from all over the Philippines met at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center for a 2-day competition that saw new Esports kings crowned and 9,000 fans come out to watch it all play out. In partnership with Mineski Entertainment Group, the event featured the final bouts for Arena of Valor, won by MaxBox Gaming (P50,000 prize); Tekken won by PBE|Doujin (P45,000); and League of Legends, won by TNC Pro Team (P100,00). In a stunning upset, Andreij “Doujin” Albar, finally defeated fellow teammate and two-time defending Globe PPGL 2018 Tekken 7 grand champion, Alexandre ”AK” Laverez to become this year’s Tekken 7 Champion. “Keep on fighting and continue practicing. You’re strong. Even though you ended up in second place this time, it doesn’t mean that you’re weak or what. Always think that you’re strong because it’s true,” Doujin told his defeated teammate, who broke down in tears after his defeat, the first he experienced in his entire PPGL career. It was a weekend of surprise for the Arena of Valor competitors as well. Though MaxBox Gaming is widely considered to be a rookie in the league, they still came away with the top prize for AOV, beating BREN Esports 3-1. Two stalwarts of the Philippine Esports landscape, TNC Pro Team and Mineski went head to head for the League of Legends crown. Playing late into the night, neither team was willing to give in without a fight to the finish. It was the TNC who ultimately secured the 3-2 victory, claiming their revenge against Mineski and securing the Globe Philippine Pro Gaming League Season 3 championship title. Globe Prepaid customers can get their game on with free 2GB data for Arena of Valor when they register to GoSURF50 and up, GoSakto70, GoSakto90, GoSakto120 and GoSakto140! They can also use the free 2GB for other games such as Mobile Legends, Clash of Clans, and Clash Royale, as well as video streaming on YouTube, Netflix, HOOQ, Cartoon Network, Disney, and NBA. To register to the promos included in this offer, simply dial *143#.

Philippine cricket takes next step

Philippine Cricket Association (PCA) president Faisal Khan (center) and team captain Jonathan Hill (right) explain the format of the East Asian phase for the World Cup qualifier in cricket.

THE Philippines starts its long and hard climb to join the world’s cricketing elite when it sees action in the International Cricket Council World T20 East Asia Pacific qualifier on Dec. 1 to 7 at the Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Friendship Oval in Dasmariñas, Cavite. “This is an exciting moment for Philippine cricket,’’ said Philippine captain Jonathan Hill, a Filipino-Australian dual citizen. “We have matured and grown together as a group over the last few years, and had some encouraging results in competition overseas. I think we’re ready to take the next step. We’ve trained hard for this tournament and want to do well in front of our home crowd.’’ Hill, whose mother hails from

Davao, and Philippine Cricket Association general manager Faisal Khan, guested in yesterday’s Tabloid Organization in Philippine Sports’ Usapang Sports at the National Press Club in Intramuros,Manila. “I’d love to see Filipinos embrace the national team and come to the ground to support them,’’ said Khan also the tournament director. Other countries competing teams are South Korea, Japan and Indonesia. The winner of the qualifier will advance to the next round of qualifiers in Papua New Guinea. The ultimate prize is entry to the Cricket World Cup 2020 in Australia. The World Cup is expected to attract a global television audience of more than 1.5 billion people.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

UP Maroons’ hero Paul Desiderio dives to the floor to keep possession of the ball. Lino Santos

PH Sports Training Center to rise soon THE establishment of the Philippine Sports Training Center is getting closer to reality. The Senate bicameral conference committee recently approved a bill that will make this happen. Senator Sonny Angara, the bill’s principal author and sponsor, said he is looking forward to this. He stated that there will be “a reinvigorated culture of sports” pervading throughout the country once a state-of-the-art national sports training center is finally built. “Darating ang panahon na hindi na lang tayo aasa sa sUwerte pagdating sa larangan ng palakasan. Sakaling maisabatas, makatutulong ang pagtatatag ng Philippine Sports Training Center sa pagpapalakas ng ating tsansa na magtagumpay sa pandaigdigang kumpetisyon,” said Angara. The approved bill authorizes the construction of the PSTC to provide more support for Filipino athletes and boost the country’s performance in the Olympics and other international sports events. Under the bill, P3.5 billion will be allocated for the project. The budget should be completed in two years after the bill’s signing into law. Angara said that training centers “reflect the state of sports in a given country, and particularly, the support being given.” These facilities, coupled with top level coaching and access to international competition, are key drivers of an effective sports system as these directly affect athletes, he explained. Peter Atencio

For underdog Maroons, it’s worth a try, says Bo By Peter Atencio

HE road will never be easy for the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons as they entered the bestof-three UAAP ﬁnals of knowing that they are not given a good chance against the mighty Ateneo Blue Eagles. But for coach Bo Perasol, it’s worth a try. And for team skipper Paul Desiderio, the confidence they got after 89-87 overtime triumph over the Adamson Falcons is keeping them going. “No basketball aficionado in his right mind will give us a chance against Ateneo. But there’s something we can do, looking forward to that championship against Ateneo. And that’s the courage, the resilience, and the feeling that we need to keep moving and fighting no matter what the odds are,” said Perasol, who talked about the Fighting Maroons’ next mission after hurdling the Soaring Falcons in their Final Four rubber match in the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philip-

pines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday. “The road is not easy going here. You have to find the courage, the skills, the talent and the persistence to be in this place that we are enjoying right now. It’s not an easy journey. But it’s all worth it,” added Perasol. Desiderio, the Cebuano standout, said the realization that the Fighting Maroons are in the finals is something that’s firing the team up. “Sobrang saya, graduating na ako. Kaya anumang chance namin sa finals, nakakadala,” said Desiderio, who delayed his plans to join the PBA through the rookie draft to play one final season. The 5’10” Desiderio took charge in

the closing minutes of the overtime period, with the score tied at 87-all after Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa made two foul shots. With the clock winding down, Desiderio went one-on-one against the Falcons’ own clutch player Sean Manganti and made the biggest shot of his life, lifting the Maroons to the finals for the first time in 32 years. “Atin ito,” said Desiderio, when he thought about what’s went through his mind on the basket. Perasol said they had no play on that kind of shot that Desiderio made. “Kapal ng mukha niya iyun. Walang play du’n. Nasa kanya iyun. Gusto niyang akuin,” said Perasol. The Fighting Maroons will make their first finals appearance since 1986. Back then, Eric Altamirano, Benjie Paras, Joey Guanio and Ronnie Magsanoc were among those who steered the Fighting Maroons to the crown under Joe Lipa as coach.

F2 Logistics extends PSL win streak to 5 BACOOR CITY—F2 Logistics banked in this tourney that also has ESPN5, Hyper on its collective effort to overcome a Games Tomorrow (Caloocan Sports Complex) HD and Aksyon TV as broadcast partners. 12 p.m. - FEU vs CSA Biñan hard-fighting Cignal squad, 25-22, 23Fajardo made 45 excellent sets as their 2 p.m. - UP vs UST 25, 25-14, 25-17, and stretch its winning team continued to miss Kianna Dy for the 4 p.m. - Petron vs Smart 6 p.m. - F2 Logistics vs Generika-Ayala streak in the Philippine Superliga All-Filsecond straight game due to knee soreness ipino Conference Thursday at the Bacoor and the wake of her grandmother in Davao. Strike Gym here. “I’m happy even we lost the second set because somehow I Ara Galang and Majoy Baron led the attack of the Cargo saw the determination of my players to win the game,” F2 LoMovers, who extended their winning streak to five in this gistics head coach Ramil de Jesus said. prestigious club tourney bankrolled by Isuzu, Sogo, Senoh, “Even we’re not complete, they were composed.” Asics, Mikasa, Mueller, UCPB Gen and Bizooku with GeThe Cargo Movers fought back from 17-24 deficit in the secnius Sports as technical partner. ond set and trimmed it down to 23-24. Galang dropped 18 points built on 16 spikes and a pair of But Mylene Paat nailed a kill to end the frame and level the aces laced with 10 excellent receptions while Baron unload- match to one-set apiece before the Cargo Movers recovered ed eight kills, five blocks and three aces for 16 points as F2 their groove en route to the victory. Logistics improved to 7-2 win-loss record to claim the solo Cignal managed to keep F2 Logistics within striking dissecond spot. tance in all departments as it had a 12-10 advantage in blocking, Cha Cruz-Behag was also instrumental with 12 points and trailed only three in attacking, 42-45 and had 10 team aces each. 23 digs while Aby Maraño added 10 markers for F2 Logistics, The Cargo Movers also played more fluid with only 14 errors which finished the job in just one hour and 36 minutes of battle while the HD Spikers committed 33 miscues.

Ray Parks joins PBA Rookie Draft HIGHLY-touted Bobby Ray Parks just made himself available in the coming Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft after submitting his application at the league office on Thursday. The two-time UAAP and ASEAN Basketball League MVP was accompanied by representative Charlie Dy as the son of legendary PBA Import Bobby Parks made the first step in finally realizing his dream of playing in Asia’s pioneering pro league. The application of the 25-yearold National University product brings to 34 the total of players who have so far made the draft list with the Dec. 3 deadline just a few days away. Also throwing their hats to the draft are high-scoring guard Robert Bolick of San Beda, highly sought big man Abu Tratter, triple-double machine Bong Quinto and his Letran teammate JP Calvo. San Sebastian hotshot Bong Calisaan, MJ Ayaay of Lyceum, former UAAP Rookie of the Year Kyles Lao of UP, Jose Rizal College’s Teytey Teodoro, and Centro Escolar’s Joseph Manlangit were the other latest notables to submit their applications. Earlier, seven Fil-foreign bred players also submitted their applications, led by former NCAA MVP CJ Perez and Trevis Jackson. The other Fil-foreign players in the draft include Robbie Manalang, Matthew Salem, Paul Varilla, and Carlos Isit. The qualified Fil-foreign aspirants based on their submitted documents and eligibility will be released by the league on Dec. 3. On Dec. 12 and 13, all applicants will participate in the traditional Draft Combine, before the league releases the final draft list for its 44th season on Dec. 14.

Pasay Travel City racingfest slated THE biggest club-organized racing extravaganza unfolds on Sunday, with the running of the 2018 Pasay “The Travel City” Racing Festival at the MetroTurf Racing Complex in Malvar, Batangas. Now on its fifth edition, the wholeday long event promises bigger prizes and exciting racing action in the four major races and eight tough trophy races readied by the Metro Manila Turf Club. Six tested local and imported gallopers will see action in the 5th Pasay “The Travel City” Cup, which has a total prize of P700,000 to the first four finishers with the winner receiving the top purse of P420,000. The official runners in the 1,600-meter centerpiece race are Secret Affair (CS Pare, 51); Shoo In (CP Henson, 51); Truly Ponti (OP Cortez, 54); Tin Drum (RG Fernandez, 56); Anino (DH Borbe Jr, 51); and Eugene Onegin (PR Dilema, 52). Another P700,000 is at stake in the 5th Pasay Mayor Tony Calixto Cup that will be disputed by nine exciting gallopers namely: Dugong Bughaw (OP Cortez, 54); When The Wolf Bite (BZ Llarenas, 52); Twin Oak (JA A Guce, 52); My Jopay (JB Hernandez, 52); Barayong (KB Abobo, 54); I Feel Good (RM Garcia, 54); Full of Grace (CP Henson, 52); Oktubre Katorse (VM Caminero Jr, 54); and Morning Girl (RO Niu Jr, 52). Race distance is 1,400 meters.

IN BRIEF Money supply, bank loans rise

DOMESTIC liquidity, also called M3, grew 8.2 percent year-on-year to about P11.1 trillion in October 2018, although it was slower than the 9.8-percent expansion in September, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. “Demand for credit remained the principal driver of money supply growth. Domestic claims grew by 15.2 percent in October, faster than the 14.8-percent [revised] growth in September 2018 due mainly to the sustained growth in credit to the private sector,” the BSP said in a statement. Data also showed that outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of reverse repurchase placements with the BSP, grew18.1 percent in October, faster than the 17.6-percent rise in September. Loans for production activities―which comprised 88.7 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio, net of RRP―increased at a brisker pace at 18.7 percent in October from 17.4 percent in the previous month. The growth of loans for household consumption slowed down to 14.6 percent in October from 18.2 percent in September, dragged down by the slower expansion in credit card loans and motor vehicle loans. Julito G. Rada

Business

New La-Union road set to boost tourism

LA UNION Second District Rep. Sandra Eriguel said the completion of the Anduyan Bridge and the interlinked Anduyan-RizalSan Pascual Road and Aringay-Tubao Road connecting La Union and Benguet provinces will boost mobility, tourism and trade in Northern Luzon. “The people of La Union are very grateful to Secretary Mark Villar and to the whole DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] family,” said Eriguel, whose late husband Rep. Franny Eriguel pushed for the funding and implementation of the infrastructure project as early as 2015. The P493.9-million project, spanning nearly 15 kilometers, will cut travel time from Tubao, La Union to Asin Hot Spring in Tuba, Benguet from more than two hours to 35 minutes. It will also reduce travel time to Baguio City to less than an hour. More than 4,000 motorists are expected to beneﬁt from the project per day. Villar and other DPWH ofﬁcials led the inauguration of the 360-meter Anduyan Bridge and the 14.24-km road section along Aringay-Tubao Alternate Road leading to Asin Hot Spring and Baguio City on Nov. 26. Eriguel said her late husband pushed for the implementation of the project in 2015 to boost tourism in the area. “This bridge was his dream. In fact, I can call this as ‘Franny’s Dream Bridge’ or in Ilocano ‘Frany’s Arapaap Rangtay’. Fran and I inspected this project in February. He was excitedly looking forward to the scheduled inauguration in June 2018. But, sadly, he was murdered on May 12. However, we shall continue the dream of Frany,” Eriguel said.

MAYNILAD’S KUBETA AWARDS. West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. celebrates World Toilet Day with the holding of its second ‘Golden Kubeta Awards’—a social media contest that recognizes the best public restrooms in the Philippines. Maynilad officials led by president and chief executive Ramoncito Fernandez (left) lead the awarding ceremony, with this year’s Golden Kubeta Awards top winner, Xentro Mall, represented by marketing vice president Xavier Yul Cruz and marketing manager Ferdinand Gabriel (fourth and fifth from left, respectively).

DBCC decides to push ahead with oil tax hike T By Julito G. Rada

HE interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee said Thursday it decided to recommend the continued implementation of the second tranche of excise tax increase on petroleum products under Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a news brieﬁng the DBCC decision followed the favorable outlook in world oil prices, as the cost of Dubai crude oil prices declined 14 percent from an average of $79 per barrel in Oc-

tober to $68 a barrel in November. “The circumstances changed drastically,” Dominguez said, adding the DBCC acted based on facts. He said the DBCC “will keep an eye on the ongoing developments.” Under the Train law, the government imposed an excise tax of P2.50 a liter on diesel and bunker fuel starting January this year. The rate will go up to P4.50 in 2019 and P6 in 2020. The law provides that the increase in petroleum taxes will be automatically postponed if the average price of Dubai crude― used as benchmark for Asia― reaches $80 per barrel for three consecutive months before the next round of tax hike. Dubai crude price, however, fell from its October peak and is now below $70 a barrel. The oil futures market expects the price of oil to further decline to below $60 per barrel in 2019, indicating a downward trend on world oil prices, according to Dominguez. “The DBCC also took into consideration the adverse impact on revenues and expenditures for ﬁscal year 2019 should

the government proceed with the suspension of the scheduled increase of excise taxes on petroleum,” Dominguez said. The suspension was estimated earlier to result in a net revenue loss for the government of P43.4 billion for a 12-month suspension, assuming the Dubai crude oil prices would average $65 per barrel in 2019. Economic managers said the erosion in revenue would lead to a commensurate decrease in government expenditures so as not to breach the target deficit level of 3.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2019. Dominguez said together with other measures to increase food supply in the country, particularly rice, the suspension of the second tranche of excise taxes on petroleum was intended to curb inflationary pressure and relieve the Filipino people of the high prices of goods. Dominguez said the DBCC would discuss with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas this decision’s impact on inflation, saying the regulator was expected to make an announcement soon.

Transco asks Peza to review offer for Baguio ecozone

SM CINEMA OPENS IN ORMOC. SM Cinema

opens its newest movie hub at SM Center Ormoc. Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology and an additional of 390 seats, SM Cinema Ormoc has three sound surround digital cinemas with end-to-end screens and comfortable seats. Shown during the opening ceremonies are (from left) SM Cinema senior vice president for cinema and exhibition Maria Anicia Naval, SM Supermalls senior vice president Steven Tan, SM Engineering Design and Development vice president Chico Sy, Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy TorresGomez, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, Vice Mayor Leo Locsin and SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive vice president Jeffrey Lim.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Mindanao electricity market operations delayed to mid-2019 COMMERCIAL operations of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in Mindanao were delayed to middle of next year, according to an ofﬁcial of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines. “Target [for the start of the operations] is next year, around middle of the year or thereafter,” IEMOP president Francis Saturnino Juan said. IEMOP took over the operations of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading ﬂoor of electricity, from Philippine Electricity Market Corp. in September. Juan said WESM Mindanao’s commercial operations were delayed because of the ongoing software audit of the new

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

BSP: Inflation likely slowed in November

Cathay Land eyes 2 towers in Laguna

CATHY Land Inc. is investing P1 billion in two vertical developments in South Forbes Golf City in Laguna province, as demand for residential buildings an hour away from the metropolis remains strong. The twin condominium development will complement existing projects inside the 500-hectare property. “Industrial and residential activity is on the uptrend in the south, particularly in the Metro Sta. Rosa-Silang-Tagaytay area. This makes it an opportune time to launch two of our new low-rise condominium projects both for the investor and end-user communities,” said Cathay Land president Jeffrey Ng. Cathay Land’s township projects―Stanford Suites 3 and Fullerton Suites―are located within South Forbes Golf City. Ng said South Forbes Golf City’s boutique communities were inspired by modern interpretations of classic architectural themes. Stanford Suites 3 is geared towards young families, retirees and investors given its prime location near Westborough Town Centre. Othel V. Campos

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

market system. “It will be the one used for WESM Mindanao,” he said. Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella earlier said there were still some technicalities that needed to be resolved. WESM is a centralized venue for buyers and sellers to trade electricity as a commodity where its prices are based on actual use (demand) and availability (supply). WESM began commercial operations in Luzon in June 2006 and in the Visayas in December 2010. It was created under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to reﬂect the actual cost of electricity and lower power prices

through more efficient production and competition. Fuentebella said the New Market Management System for WESM Mindanao remained to be completed. “The system that PEMC is auditing to make it five minute intervals is taking longer so they are looking at October to make it online and applicable,” he said. Trial operations for the integration of the Mindanao grid to the WESM was launched June last year. The trial operations program signaled the start of implementing test cases of a market-based mechanism for the efficient scheduling, dispatch and settlement of energy withdrawal and injections in the Mindanao grid. Alena Mae S. Flores

STATE-RUN National Transmission Corp. asked the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to reconsider its proposal to operate, maintain and manage Baguio Economic Zone’s power distribution system for 25 years. Peza earlier said the joint counterproposal of Transco with Benguet Electric Cooperative challenging the offer of Manila Electric Co. for the 25-year lease concession agreement “failed to pass the evaluation.” Peza also cited the financial reports of Beneco, TransCo’s outstanding distribution rates and the proposed distribution rates for the decision. TransCo president Melvin Matibag, in a letter to Peza, noted “the lack of transparent process, guidelines, terms of reference, very short transaction schedule and evaluation criteria.” He said these could not be the reason of Peza for rejecting their proposal. “We also find Peza’s procedures quite inconsistent with government’s thrust for complete transparency, competitiveness, simplicity and accountability. Thus, a third-party observer might entertain a reasonable conclusion that the transaction might be giving unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to a private entity,” Matibag said. He said while Beneco’s income statement showed negative net income, it did not mean real financial loss. Matibag said this was because the financial report of the electric cooperative did not reflect the total revenue collected from member-consumers while they were required to report non-cash depreciation expense.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday inflation rate in November likely slowed to as low as 5.8 percent from a nine-year peak of 6.7 percent in September and October, pulled down by lower oil prices and stable supply of rice. The BSP Department of Economic Research said in a statement the November 2018 inflation likely settled within a range of 5.8 percent to 6.6 percent. “The deceleration of inflation for the month could be attributed to the sharp decline in petroleum prices, the normalization of supply conditions in rice and other agricultural commodities, and the peso appreciation,” the Bangko Sentral said. The peso strengthened to 52.5-perdollar level in the past few weeks from as high as 54.3 a dollar in October. It closed at 52.45 against the greenback Thursday. “These could be offset in part by the adjustments in jeepney and bus fares as well as higher electricity rates in Meralco-serviced areas,” the central bank said. “Moving forward, the BSP will remain watchful of economic and financial developments to ensure the achievement of its primary mandate of price stability conducive to balanced and sustainable economic growth,” it said. Inflation hit 6.7 percent in October, the same rate in September, bringing the inflation in the first 10 months to 5.1 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year. The Monetary Board, the policymaking body of the Bangko Sentral, on Nov. 15 raised for the fifth time this year the benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent to temper inflation rate. This brought the total increase in the policy rates this year to 175 basis points since May 2018. The interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities were raised accordingly. BSP Deputy Governor Almasara Cyd Tuano-Amador said the upside risks to inflation outlook remained amid the measures implemented by the government to make sure consumer prices were in check. Julito G. Rada

DBP’s net profit rose 13% to P4.5b in first 9 months STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines, the eighth-largest lender in terms of assets, said Thursday net income rose 13 percent in the first nine months to P4.49 billion from P3.98 billion a year ago, driven by the robust growth of its lending business. DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo said the bank’s financial performance was driven by the robust growth in lending activities and revitalized branch operations. “DBP has surpassed most of its fiscal targets for the year, and at the same time, remains financially strong to support the various development initiatives of the government,” she said in a statement. DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and is the designated infrastructure bank by the Duterte administration. The bank provides loans to four key sectors of the economy―infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; social services and community development; and the environment. Borromeo said DBP’s net income represented a 111-percent realization rate of its nine-month target of P4.06billion. She said the bank already realized 81 percent of its annual target of P5.56-billion for the year. Gross income reached P18.85 billion in the first nine months, up from P16.54 billion a year ago, as total assets jumped 13 percent to P632.93 billion from P557.84 billion. DBP’s capital adequacy ratio reached 14.51 percent, higher than the industry average of 10 percent, while common equity Tier 1 Ratio, which consists mostly of common stock, was recorded at 10.96 percent. DBP’s loan portfolio hit P250.3 billion, which is 98 percent of its yearend target of P256.6 billion. Julito G. Rada

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks down; Metrobank declines T HE stock market fell slightly Thursday in last-minute selling as investors took proﬁts after an early window dressing at the close of the month’s trading.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 14.58 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,367.85 on a value turnover of P20.1 billion after opening strongly. Gainers, however, beat losers, 112 to 78, with 52 issues unchanged. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, lost 1.6 percent to P74.60, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which is into power generation and distribution, banking, food, shipbuilding and infrastructure,

dropped 4.2 percent to P52.20. International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, declined 3.5 percent to P93.50, but ISM Communications Corp., a member of the group declared by the government as the country’s third major telecommunications ﬁrm, jumped 22.6 percent to P6.41. The dollar, meanwhile, extended losses in Asia while most equities rose after the head of the Federal Reserve hinted at a softer pace of interest rate hikes, though investors remain wary about the weekend’s crunch trade talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Most Asian equities tracked a rally in New York, where the Dow and S&P 500 surged more than two percent while the tech-rich Nasdaq piled on three percent. Tokyo was 0.4 percent higher, Sydney added 0.6 percent, Singapore put on 0.7 percent and Seoul was up 0.3 percent.

some much-needed cheer after months of negativity and ahead of the festive period. “Powell’s dovish pivot reduces nagging concerns about vigorous interest rate hikes while providing the market with one of the best holiday gifts, a signiﬁcant bounce in global equity markets,” said Stephen Innes, head of AsiaPaciﬁc trade at OANDA. The dollar was down against its major peers as well as high-yielding and emerging market currencies, which have suffered a painful 2018. The pound even managed to strengthen despite warnings about the dire consequences of a no-deal Brexit from the Bank of England. Among the big winners, the South African rand and Mexican peso each climbed around 1.5 percent, while Indonesia’s rupiah, the Australian dollar and Indian rupee all jumped more than one percent. With AFP

Wellington, Mumbai and Jakarta also registered strong gains. However, proﬁt-taking dragged Hong Kong down 0.9 percent in the afternoon while Shanghai sank 1.3 percent. US markets were sent soaring Wednesday after Fed chief Jerome Powell said borrowing costs were still historically low but only “just below” the neutral level, a rate that neither stimulates nor restrains the economy. While the central bank is widely expected to lift rates, his comment was a far cry from his characterization last month of them being “a long way from neutral.” The fear of higher US interest rates— fueled by a surging economy—has been a key driver of a global equity sell-off over the past few months, while the dollar has soared as traders put cash into the US looking for better, safer returns. Observers said the remarks provided

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

59.5 94 2.3 128.4 1.51 27.7 15.5 11.66 4.09 8 0.67 1.41 830 0.43 75.9 0.78 10.9 40.85 171.1 117 71.5 28.75 160 1,825 69 1.14

59.7 94.15 2.3 130.5 1.6 27.7 15.5 11.8 4.14 8 0.67 1.41 830 0.465 76.9 0.8 10.9 41.45 171.1 117 72.5 29 163.9 1,825 69.1 1.14

59.5 93.8 2.3 128.4 1.49 27.55 15.34 11.34 3.91 8 0.67 1.41 830 0.43 74.6 0.76 10.9 40.85 171.1 117 70 28.75 158.4 1,825 67.4 1.14

FINANCIALS 59.7 5,060 94 3,848,280 2.3 1,000 130.2 9,430,050 1.6 4,005,000 27.65 85,300 15.5 2,400 11.52 762,900 4.14 367,000 8 100 0.67 203,000 1.41 1,000 830 100 0.45 230,000 74.6 61,612,920 0.8 403,000 10.9 100 41.2 374,500 171.1 450 117 1,500 71.25 25,320 29 61,700 161 1,375,700 1,825 140 67.7 9,920 1.14 1,000

302,070 361,742,420.50 2,300 1,227,358,951 5,970,510 2,354,525 36,854 8,890,422 1,476,350 800 136,010 1,410 83,000 102,500 4,613,166,269 314,730 1,090 15,448,430 76,995 175,500 1,791,906 1,789,130 221,797,720 255,500 675,302 1,140

297,905 135,644,800.50 -2,568,874 37,250 -143,440 -3,815,564 423,220,607 156,470 -9,194,285 28,799 -3,586,728 18,233 -

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

33.4 17.48 1.04 1.25 0.245 93.05 1.74 14.5 190 34 16.2 36.5 78.05 1.54 5.4 6.89 10.2 15.24 8.6 6.96 17.38 61.6 24 2.08 5.95 8.81 1.66 280 4.62 3.34 26.1 10.2 17.86 387.6 6 1.4 4 8.2 4.66 8.7 0.88 10.76 48.5 5.06 4.75 1.91 2.8 1.38 10.5 83 5.58 0.123 0.84 129.9 1.6 15.2 1.71

33.5 17.8 1.06 1.28 0.25 100 1.75 15.74 190 34 17 37.35 78.05 1.56 5.75 6.9 10.7 15.6 8.65 6.99 17.8 63 25 2.19 5.95 9.18 1.66 284 4.62 3.34 26.95 10.2 18.68 387.6 6 1.4 4 8.2 4.87 8.78 0.9 11.02 49 5.2 4.75 1.91 2.8 1.4 10.7 83 5.6 0.123 0.84 130.4 1.75 15.2 1.78

31.7 17 1.02 1.24 0.235 93.05 1.67 14.4 190 32 16.2 36.05 78.05 1.53 5.4 6.85 10.2 15.22 8.49 6.96 17.38 61 24 2.04 5.79 8.81 1.61 278.4 4.62 3.34 26.05 9.9 17.86 383.2 5.88 1.34 3.9 8.1 4.66 8.6 0.87 10.72 47.4 5.06 4.7 1.85 2.8 1.3 10.5 82.75 5.4 0.123 0.81 128 1.59 15.2 1.69

INDUSTRIAL 31.7 4,328,600 17.8 1,242,100 1.05 11,860,000 1.28 140,000 0.25 7,740,000 100 70 1.7 27,360,000 15.74 1,225,300 190 150 32.5 183,400 17 700 36.4 25,600 78.05 200 1.56 109,000 5.5 215,300 6.85 900 10.2 3,987,900 15.5 288,200 8.64 296,800 6.98 280,000 17.72 6,886,700 62.05 4,423,850 25 70,100 2.1 21,118,000 5.8 187,000 9.18 3,172,600 1.64 594,000 278.4 2,113,500 4.62 15,000 3.34 25,000 26.95 840,700 9.98 514,500 18.2 16,765,200 384.2 1,693,130 6 20,400 1.35 300,000 3.9 38,000 8.2 1,605,000 4.87 132,000 8.78 8,200 0.9 588,000 11.02 192,800 47.4 7,253,700 5.2 181,600 4.75 21,000 1.91 49,000 2.8 2,000 1.36 509,000 10.7 72,400 82.85 2,800,670 5.4 3,844,100 0.123 30,000 0.84 142,000 128 2,771,450 1.74 29,707,000 15.2 200 1.7 15,835,000

139,089,095 21,528,326 12,378,500 175,350 1,907,110 6,791.50 46,536,600 19,002,828 28,500 6,010,395 11,620 934,960 15,610 168,840 1,183,170 6,198 41,360,004 4,459,368 2,562,524 1,954,415 121,597,394 274,157,654 1,734,405 44,845,380 1,085,012 28,647,385 969,400 590,784,184 69,300 83,500 22,354,610 5,128,650 308,518,132 650,732,844 120,900 412,650 148,770 13,135,870 633,190 71,302 521,940 2,111,600 345,110,385 936,226 99,700 91,840 5,600 698,040 772,740 232,156,572 20,928,461 3,690 117,770 357,370,047 49,535,250 3,040 27,453,820

-59,131,325 -4,668,770 148,100 -1,485,000 -12,577,910 10,901,106 32,600 -32,945 24,690 -4,823 -13,023,394.00 3,126,182 839,339 -1,408,762 -13,453,962 -20,095,376 699,400 -1,062,400 -356,970 -90,074,214 12,564,020 -561,810 -6,358,618 2,748,350 -316,380 -2,802,088.00 -45,000 -771,000 -46,460,350 -232,130 -4,700 -727,060 49,649,776 77,700 -76,629,017 -4,722,970 -239,910

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.55 54.5 11.3 6.33 19.82 1.47 1.47 951 7.15 12.8 9.7 4.69 881 49.65 4.43 0.54 4.08 15.8 0.59 4.62 0.035 1.24 2.33 174.6 921 0.77 1.26 478 280 0.245 0.215

0.59 56.75 11.58 6.42 20.4 1.52 1.51 958 7.4 12.96 9.7 5.09 894 50.45 4.43 0.54 4.11 16.08 0.63 4.72 0.038 1.24 2.33 174.8 933 0.78 1.35 478 280 0.245 0.215

0.55 51.9 11.16 6.33 19.8 1.46 1.47 950 7.02 12.34 9.2 4.69 880 48.2 4.43 0.52 4.07 15.8 0.59 4.61 0.035 1.2 2.28 172.1 908.5 0.77 1.26 438 271.8 0.235 0.215

HOLDING FIRMS 0.58 25,424,000 52.2 14,084,830 11.42 35,605,500 6.42 117,300 19.9 2,541,600 1.51 9,230,000 1.51 1,845,000 951 1,009,260 7.06 2,385,900 12.34 16,741,000 9.3 2,537,500 5.09 4,000 888 319,400 48.2 5,534,700 4.43 2,000 0.53 6,000 4.08 15,165,000 15.98 4,154,600 0.62 594,000 4.7 71,194,000 0.036 41,000,000 1.24 66,000 2.28 431,000 174.7 205,720 908.5 1,054,100 0.78 108,000 1.35 2,000 475.8 110 280 6,260 0.245 1,510,000 0.215 150,000

14,536,560 746,621,281 406,640,780 746,902 50,782,481 13,724,120 2,751,940 960,750,370 17,211,702 209,341,888 24,180,373 19,560 283,754,475 269,499,720 8,860 3,190 61,782,090 66,411,532 350,660 331,932,260 1,512,100 80,690 992,660 35,828,902 968,463,465 83,990 2,610 50,958 1,748,800 359,950 32,250

476,270.00 -27,993,898.50 9,432,138 727,030 48,946,970.00 205,620 -12,559,340 3,249,394 -107,092,272 9,500 -4,442,635 -92,000,130 -2,620,570 28,746,998 14,032,050 58,000 -1,380,568 -463,074,285 2,350 -

3,598,572 801,680 140,920 371,300 1,132,508,815 4,629,110 805,040 1,196 1,759,000 8,400 10,440 131,980 163,200 606,098 5,910,286 171,700 11,880 15,711,480 2,794,480 190,017,570 12,380,550

27,283,885 -4,346,430 24,360.00 -1,196 -123,000 1,375,762 589,080 -83,107,740 633,800

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED

7.55 0.75 1.77 0.56 41 2.2 4.06 5.98 0.41 0.84 0.87 0.213 0.34 7.9 18.1 0.5 0.108 1.44 1.02 4.75 0.38

7.56 0.78 1.85 0.58 41.75 2.24 4.08 5.98 0.415 0.84 0.87 0.217 0.34 7.9 18.3 0.5 0.108 1.48 1.03 4.82 0.39

7.52 0.75 1.76 0.55 40.7 2.2 4.03 5.98 0.41 0.84 0.87 0.212 0.34 7.8 18.1 0.49 0.108 1.43 1.01 4.51 0.365

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

0.47 2.5 0.375 3.59 21.15 1.95 3.14 34.1 1.19 5.48 5.3

0.47 2.54 0.39 3.64 21.65 1.95 3.14 35.4 1.19 5.73 5.3

0.46 2.4 0.375 3.58 20.45 1.95 3.1 34.1 1.16 5.05 5.27

0.47 2.45 0.39 3.6 20.45 1.95 3.12 34.7 1.18 5.12 5.3

1,250,000 24,310,000 200,000 378,000 6,113,800 98,000 39,000 23,809,600 1,447,000 2,405,600 8,118,200

580,700 59,601,510 75,350 1,358,990 128,472,325 191,100 121,990 829,646,380 1,689,730 12,675,598 42,995,834

330,130 -36,000 -10,467,100 9,784,345 10,240 -26,203,427

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

9.98 19.8 1.44 0.385 0.038 13.02 1.95 8.1 71 7.97 6.53 2.36 19 2,010 5.29 322 3.4 96.5 10.58 7.2 0.104 5.3 3.34 3.12 0.78 14 0.35 5.54 7.2 2.21 1.85 1.89 15.1 3.6 10.44 7.9 3.22 108 2.95 1,180 0.66 0.34 42.95 75.9 6.79 2.4 0.6 0.4 5.23 0.59 12.3

9.98 19.9 1.44 0.385 0.038 13.02 2.48 8.35 74.4 7.97 7.17 2.36 23.7 2,038 5.3 326 3.47 98.7 10.98 7.2 0.106 6.52 3.44 3.39 0.78 14.5 0.35 5.54 7.25 2.26 2.12 2.18 15.5 3.81 10.44 8 3.32 112 2.98 1,200 0.66 0.34 42.95 77 7.49 2.4 0.62 0.4 5.3 0.62 12.32

9.9 19.7 1.44 0.375 0.037 13.02 1.95 8.1 71 7.97 6.53 2.36 18.04 1,970 5.25 309.4 3.36 93.5 10.58 7.2 0.1 5.27 3.34 3.1 0.77 13.78 0.35 5.25 6.9 2.2 1.85 1.8 15.1 3.4 10.4 7.9 3.02 108 2.89 1,158 0.64 0.315 42.55 75.9 6.76 2.28 0.6 0.38 5.23 0.57 12

SERVICES 9.96 19.86 1.44 0.38 0.038 13.02 2.35 8.34 74.15 7.97 7.17 2.36 18.2 1,970 5.25 325 3.43 93.5 10.8 7.2 0.104 6.41 3.44 3.3 0.78 14.5 0.35 5.5 7.25 2.2 1.94 1.85 15.5 3.45 10.4 8 3.09 112 2.97 1,158 0.64 0.33 42.55 76.4 7.49 2.32 0.61 0.385 5.3 0.61 12.06

8,500 33,300 14,000 1,680,000 2,900,000 100 25,279,000 19,164,800 285,820 1,100 6,366,900 1,000 2,974,900 107,140 126,900 3,260 1,675,000 7,414,180 1,000 10,000 7,490,000 65,390,900 2,000 17,873,000 51,000 826,500 40,000 34,200 643,300 1,980,000 3,336,000 179,000 600 5,255,000 2,000 300 70,000 27,060 660,000 347,045 73,988,000 360,000 396,900 1,342,980 122,000 12,669,000 4,730,000 48,220,000 631,600 3,498,000 18,775,700

84,472 659,448 20,160 642,950 108,200 1,302 57,508,000 158,474,061 21,119,871.50 8,767 44,134,284 2,360 62,600,055 212,974,000 669,083 1,041,766 5,711,380 698,146,209 10,850 72,000 769,110 389,230,993 6,780 58,235,760 39,650 11,761,352 14,000 182,416 4,638,116 4,393,350 6,657,850 353,240 9,100 18,723,870 20,840 2,380 214,790 2,930,814 1,940,200 404,829,525 47,410,600 116,650 16,921,605 102,864,676 881,480 29,371,580 2,891,470 18,633,700 3,339,669 2,109,650 226,998,780

38,000 -187,740 7,199,737 5,395,903.50 -570,253 -557,533 -734,770 55,930 -217,814,259.50 51,400 18,253,940 -2,351,900 3,801,874 1,992,300 275,780 42,280 -151,780 213,294 -681,680 -36,119,820 -14,770,260 -9,492,460 -7,023,845 576,730 2,212,070 -1,552,940 1,074,200 -398,952 -580 1,739,376

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON

0.002 1.61 2.37 14 1.11 1.91 7.06 1.7 0.2 0.09 0.103 1.05 2.32 1.03 0.53 0.88 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.18 2.62 14.74 26.1 0.0065

0.002 1.62 2.64 14 1.11 1.91 7.06 1.7 0.202 0.097 0.103 1.11 2.33 1.03 0.53 0.89 0.013 0.012 0.012 3.21 2.62 15.04 26.6 0.0068

0.0018 1.56 2.37 13.5 1.11 1.9 7 1.67 0.2 0.09 0.096 1.05 2.21 1.02 0.53 0.87 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.18 2.55 14.38 26.1 0.006

MINING & OIL 0.0018 69,000,000 1.57 7,555,000 2.64 23,000 13.92 7,700 1.11 2,000 1.9 420,000 7 2,400 1.7 398,000 0.202 30,000 0.097 12,000,000 0.1 1,070,000 1.11 3,000 2.22 40,293,000 1.03 3,000 0.53 154,000 0.88 369,000 0.013 67,300,000 0.012 9,200,000 0.012 24,300,000 3.21 23,000 2.56 1,613,000 14.42 2,924,300 26.2 1,228,400 0.006 13,000,000

129,000 11,968,900 54,780 106,584 2,220 800,200 16,809 668,460 6,020 1,094,520 106,990 3,210 89,944,810 3,080 81,620 323,180 829,900 110,400 291,600 73,430 4,151,960 42,815,480 32,350,835 85,100

0 48,800 -2,220 -238,950 -96,000 -32,044,060 880 266,400 -2,789,940 -7,950,180 9,551,250 -

AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR HOUSE PREF A PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

460 489 475 5.08 95 990 1,000 102 102 980 76.55 71.4 74.95 73.2 75 74 73.5

460 489 475 5.09 95 990 1,010 102 102 998 76.55 73 74.95 75 75 74 73.5

460 489 475 5.06 95 920 1,000 102 102 980 76.55 71.4 74.95 70.05 75 74 73.4

PREFERRED 460 5,440 489 250 475 30 5.06 28,400 95 2,050 989.5 350 1,010 100 102 10 102 3,280 998 510 76.55 1,000 71.4 29,060 74.95 5,500 75 24,180 75 2,200 74 1,000 73.5 8,280

2,502,400 122,250 14,250 144,273 194,750 339,450 100,500 1,020 334,560 508,800 76,550 2,096,835 412,225 1,773,212.50 165,000 74,000 608,030

76,859 56,100 -

LR WARRANT

1.9

2.03

1.88

WARRANTS 1.96 1,028,000

2,015,710

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.47 1.18

4.55 1.33

4.36 1.15

4.44 1.32

1,597,930 18,569,520

-35,780 -4,694,430

FIRST METRO ETF

110.1

111.2

110.1

PROPERTY 7.55 0.77 1.85 0.57 41.65 2.22 4.08 5.98 0.41 0.84 0.87 0.217 0.34 7.85 18.2 0.49 0.108 1.45 1.03 4.51 0.38

477,100 1,048,000 80,000 652,000 27,201,700 2,084,000 198,000 200 4,290,000 10,000 12,000 620,000 480,000 77,200 324,800 350,000 110,000 10,788,000 2,735,000 41,602,000 32,930,000

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

TRADING SUMMARY

FINANCIAL

83,124,111

INDUSTRIAL

183,817,477

HOLDING FIRMS

253,480,540

PROPERTY

198,284,815

SERVICES

338,630,858

MINING & OIL

251,131,610

GRAND TOTAL

1,323,426,260

SME

359,000 14,586,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 110.5 8,270

917,466

-5,505

VALUE 1,75825 (up) 4.62 6,486,997,131.56 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,655.14 (down) 55.65 3,403,778,063.741 HOLDING FIRMS 7,230.90 (down) 51.99 4,753,559,215.60 PROPERTY 3,601.14 (up) 59.47 SERVICES 1,401.55 (down) 9.63 2,582,681,015.16 MINING & OIL 8,487.63 (down) 22.29 2,655,635,540.15 PSEI 7,367.85 (down) 14.58 186,051,101.17 All Shares Index 4,441.33 (down) 2.05 20,089,796,372.82 Gainers: 112; Losers: 78; Unchanged: 52; Total: 242

DMCI Homes on track to hit sales target of P40b this year By Jenniffer B. Austria DMCI Homes, the property unit of DMCI Holdings Inc., said it is on track to reach its P40-billion reservation sales target this year on strong demand for residential projects. DMCI Homes president Alfredo Austria said reservation sales in the first nine months of the year had already reached P33.48 billion, up seven percent from P31.34 billion year-on-year. “Consistent strong sales performance of key projects put the company on track to meet its P40 billion adjusted sales target for the year,” Austria said. He said one key contributor was Kai Garden Residences in Mandaluyong City, which posted P8 billion in total sales revenue as of September 30. Other top contributors in the first three quarters were Pasig City projects Fairlane Residences and Prisma Residences, which registered P7.26 billion and P3.18 billion in sales and reservations, respectively. DMCI Homes this year launched three new residential projects, namely Fairlane Residences, The Atherton in Parañaque City and Satori Residences in Pasig City. DMCI Homes, meanwhile, increased its total land value to P9 billion from P4.9 billion a year, including new acquisitions in Visayas and Mindanao. “This is part of the company’s plan to expand outside Metro Manila which started with Outlook Ridge Residences in Baguio City and Verdon Parc in Davao City,” Austria said. “We are also hoping to help address the housing needs in other key cities like Cebu in the near future,” he added. The company plans to launch two projects in Cebu—an eight-hectare lot development in Cebu City and a 6,000-square meter lot in Lahug by mid next year. DMCI Homes is also launching its second residential project in Davao City. The company to date has launched a total of 72 projects. DMCI Homes plans to launch its first socialized housing project next year. Austria said the company plans to provide affordable unit projects to workers in Calaca, Batangas for the first project.

China Bank infuses P40m into Manulife By Julito G. Rada CHINA Banking Corp., the seventhlargest lender in terms of assets, is infusing an additional capital of P40 million into Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. to enhance its competitive position. Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. is a strategic alliance between Manulife Philippines and China Bank, providing a wide range of innovative insurance products and services to China Bank customers. “Please be informed that during the regular meeting held this afternoon, 28 November 2018, subject to conﬁrmation of the board, the executive committee of the bank approved an additional capital infusion in the amount P40 million in Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp.,” the bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. “This represents 40 percent of the P100 million total capital infusion into MCBL with the balance of P60 million to be provided by Manulife Philippines,” the bank said. On top of complying with the higher capital requirements for insurance companies, China Bank said the additional capital would improve MCBL’s capacity to underwrite more business and enhance its competitive position. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. opened its doors for business in the Philippines in 1907. Since then, Manulife’s Philippine branch and later The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Philippines) Inc. (Manulife Philippines) has expanded to become one of the leading life insurance companies in the country. Manulife Philippines is a whollyowned domestic subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corp., among the world’s largest life insurance companies by market capitalization. China Bank is the ﬁrst privately-owned commercial bank in the Philippines. Established in 1920, it played a key role in post-World War II reconstruction and economic recovery through its support to businesses and entrepreneurs in critical industries. It was listed in the local stock exchange in 1927.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY extrastory2000@gmail.com

World

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Putin defends his forces’ seizure of Ukrainian ships

MOSCOW―President Vladimir Putin has insisted that Russian forces were in the right to seize three Ukrainian ships last weekend, but President Donald Trump expressed “deep concern” at Moscow’s actions against a US ally. In his first extensive remarks since the confrontation at sea on Sunday, Putin said it had been orchestrated by Kiev as a “provocation”. He said the Ukrainian ships had entered Russian territorial waters and refused to respond to requests to stop from Russian patrol boats. “What were they [Russian forces] supposed to do?” Putin said on Wednesday, when asked about the incident at an international investment forum in Moscow. “They were fulfilling their military duty. They were fulfilling their lawful functions in protecting Russia’s borders. They would do the same in your country.” Moscow and Kiev have traded Manila angry accusations since Russian Manila REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES navyStandard vessels TODAY fired on, boarded and Standard REGIONAL TRIAL COURT TODAY FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION captured the three Ukrainian ships BRANCH 1 off the coast of Crimea. BULWAGAN NG KATARUNGAN After warning of the threat of PALLOCAN WEST BATANGAS CITY “full-scale war”, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednes- MARIA JANICE SANTIAGO BINGAYAN, Petitioner, day signed an act imposing martial law for 30 days in regions borderCIVIL CASE NO. 18-10442 -foring Russia, the Black Sea and the -versusDECLARATION OF NULLITY OF Sea of Azov. MARRIAGE He also appealed to NATO mem- FELIPE BINGAYAN JR., bers including Germany to send Respondent. naval vessels to the region to back x-----------------------------------------x ORDER his country in the standoff. Considering that petitioner has submitted the affidavit to support the Motion for Leave of Court to serve Summons by “Germany is one of our closest and the proof of residency in compliance to the order allies, and we hope that states with- Publication dated September 14, 2018, the Motion for Leave of Courts to in NATO are now ready to relocate Serve Summons by Publication is hereby granted. Accordingly, the petitioner through counsel is hereby allowed naval ships to the Sea of Azov in service of summons upon respondent by publication of order to assist Ukraine and provide totheeffect summons in a national newspaper of general circulation in security,” he said in comments the Philippines once a week for two consecutive weeks pursuant to Section 6 of A.M. No. 02-11-10 SC the rule on Declaration of published Thursday by Germany’s Absolute Nullity of Void Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages. Pursuant to the same rule, let copy of the summons, Bild daily. AFP the petition and this order be sent to the respondent at his last

KEEP CALM. Ukrainian students hold placards reading ‘Keep Calm and Stay Strong’, ‘Keep Calm and Support Army’ or ‘Keep Calm and Smile’ during the action called ‘Keep Calm’, in the center of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, on November 28, 2018. The all-Ukrainian action reminds people that the war has been going on for four years and encourages them to continue to live, work and save Ukraine. Panic and chaos are exactly what the enemy needs, students say. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

Indonesia’s aviation in spotlight IN BRIEF J Australian spies eye license to use force

SYDNEY―Australian spies operating overseas will have more leeway to use force, including lethal force, under legal reforms put forward by the conservative government Thursday. Under the proposals, intelligence officers operating abroad for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service would be able to “use reasonable force” well beyond situations of self-defense. The measures would allow spies to use firearms more readily, as well as restrain or detain anyone posing a risk to their operations. Officers and agents—a trade craft term for any informant or operative—will also be allowed to use force to protect bystanders or hostages. Justifying the reforms, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne cited a “more complex” world and “new circumstances unforeseen” when current rules were forged a decade and a half ago. Those rules allow intelligence officers to use force to defend only themselves, other staff, or agents. Leading Australian government lawyers had expressed concern that spies could break Australian law by defending bystanders in the course of operations. AFP

Future uncertain for the platypus

SYDNEY―Australia’s unique platypus population is shrinking under pressure from agriculture and pollution, putting the egg-laying mammals’ future in doubt, researchers said in a report published Thursday. A three-year survey of the duck-billed animal suggested its numbers had fallen by 30 percent, to around 200,000, since Europeans settled the continent two centuries ago. “We have great concerns about the future survival of this unique species,” said Richard Kingsford, director of the University of New South Wales Centre for Ecosystem Science. The threats endangering the platypus in its eastern Australian habitats include increased land-clearing for agriculture, pollution, dam building and ﬁshing nets, Kingsford said in a statement. Kingsford and his team called on authorities to elevate the protected status of the platypus from near-threatened to vulnerable. They said that while population numbers varied in different regions of eastern Australia, platypuses had already disappeared from some areas. “We cannot afford as a world, let alone Australia, to let this animal go extinct and we know that it’s gone extinct in some areas already,” Kingsford told the national broadcaster ABC. The semi-aquatic platypus, which along with four species of echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs, is one of the world’s strangest animals, with the bill of a duck, tail of a beaver, otter-like feet and a venomous spur on its hind leg. AFP

AKARTA―Bumpy runways, hair-raising safety lapses, remote airstrips with no navigation systems and a dire shortage of experienced captains and maintenance crews.

Indonesia is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, but it has come under fresh scrutiny since a fatal Lion Air crash last month as the sector struggles to keep up with its breakneck expansion, putting safety at risk, analysts warn. “The vast increase in demand and operations has seen more regular accidents or events taking place that are preventable,” said Stephen Wright, an aviation expert at the University of Leeds. On Wednesday, investigators issued a preliminary report that said the doomed Lion Air jet had technical problems that the airline failed to fix before its final flight. All 189 people on board were killed as the nearly new Boeing 737 slammed into the sea shortly after takeoff. While officials did not lay blame or pinpoint a definitive cause of the October 29 accident, they said the budget carrier must take steps “to improve (its) safety culture”. Despite a spotty safety record and an avalanche of complaints over shoddy service, the carrier’s parent Lion Air Group -- which also operates five other airlines—has captured half the domestic market in less than 20 years of operation. The group now has Southeast Asia’s biggest fleet—

SO ORDERED. Batangas City, October 3, 2018.

Katherine McNamara attends the premiere of Netflix’s ‘Mowgli’ at ArcLight Hollywood on November 28, 2018, in Hollywood, California. Rachel Luna/Getty Images/ AFP

GERARDO T. SANTOS, Defendant. x------------------------------------------x

ORDER Before the Court is an Ex-parte Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication filed by the plaintiff on October 9, 2018. The record shows that after the Complaint was filed the Court duly issued Summons, but the Sheriff’s Return dated August 7, 2018 indicated an unserved Summons. And upon motion by the plaintiff, on September 18, 2018, the Court issued an Alias Summon. However, the Sheriff’s Return dated September 19, 2018 still showed that the Summons remained unserved considering the information relayed by the Security Guard that the defendant had long vacated the subject premises. Acting on the Ex-Parte Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication, the same is Granted. Accordingly, let the Alias Summons be served by publication. The plaintiff is directed to coordinate with the Office of the Clerk of Court for raffle of the same to an accredited newspaper. SO ORDERED. IN CHAMBERS, October 12, 2018, Quezon City. (Sgd.) JOEL SOCRATES S. LOPENA Presiding Judge Copy furnished: ROMULO F. CARIAGA 88-D, K-6th Street, Kamias District, QC ATTY. SAUL PAULO ALBANO LAZO Unit 1003, President Tower, No. 81, Timog Avenue, South Triangle Diliman, Q.C. GERARDO T. SANTOS 88-D, K-6th Street, Kamias District, QC

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT OF METRO MANILA QUEZON CITY, BRANCH 33

Ancient Ninja oath unveiled by researchers

small gods in more than 60 provinces across Japan” for generations. The rare document shows how strict Ninjas were about keeping their skills and techniques secret, said Yoshiki Takao, associate professor at the state-run Mie University’s International Ninja Research Center. “Thieves and Ninjas did the same thing—sneaking into other people’s houses—but Ninjas prized morality highly,” Takao said. “Ninjas were ‘public servants’ in today’s terms, providing security services and collecting information,” added the expert. Also of interest to scholars was a vow in the oath to report to his superiors any new skills, tools or ﬁrearms that were not in the “Bansenshukai”, a secretive 17th-century text considered to be somewhat of a Ninja encyclopedia.AFP

I hereby certify that copies of this order have been sent by reg. mail to the respondent; petitioner; Atty. Sharon Ilaw Santonia; and by personal delivery to the Office of the City Prosecutor. (Sgd.) GLENDA M. LACSAMANA-KING Branch Clerk of Court

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 1 BULWAGAN NG KATARUNGAN PALLOCAN WEST BATANGAS CITY MARIA JANICE SANTIAGO-BINGAYAN Plaintiff/Petitioner CIVIL CASE NO./SP Proc. No. 18-10442 -forDECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE -versusFELIPE BINGAYAN Jr. Defendant/Respondent. x------------------------------------------x

SUMMONS TO:

ROMULO F. CARIAGA, Plaintiff, -versusCivil Case No. 18-03877-CV For: Unlawful Detainer GERARDO T. SANTOS, Defendant. x------------------------------------------x

ALIAS SUMMONS TO

: GERARDO T. SANTOS 88-D, K-6th Street, Kamias District, QC

GREETINGS: PURSUANT to Rules on Summary Procedure, you are hereby REQUIRED TO FILE with the Clerk of Court III of the above captioned Court at Room 312 Hall of Justice, Quezon City within inextenaible period of ten (10) days from the service of this summons upon you. Your Answer to the Complaint of plaintiff’s a complete copy of which together with all of its annexes is attached herewith and serve upon you for you to serve a copy of the said Answer within the same period, upon plaintiff/s, if you fail to answer within the above-mentioned, the Court, motu proprio or upon motion of plaintiff’s shall render judgment as may be warranted by the facts alleged in the complaint. In Quezon City, October 16, 2018. (MStandard-Nov. 30, 2018)

(Sgd.) NORMITA S. DEL MUNDO Branch Clerk of Court

Felipe Belmonte Bingayan Zone 3 Nabaccayan, Gattaran, Cagayan Valley

GREETINGS: You are hereby required to file with the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court, Batangas City, Branch 1 within fifteen (15) days after the service of this summons upon you, exclusive of the day of such service, your Answer to the Complaint/Petition filed by plaintiff/petitioner, a copy of which together with annexes is hereto attached and herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of said Answer within the same period upon the plaintiff/ petitioner. WITNESS, the HON. FLORENCIO S. ARELLANO, Presiding Judge of this Court, this 06th day of June, 2018. (Sgd.) GLENDA M. LACSAMANA-KING Branch Clerk of Court Respectfully, referred to Fernando A. Magcasi, Sheriff IV requesting immediate service and return of the original with your endorsement thereon.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 1 BULWAGAN NG KATARUNGAN PALLOCAN WEST BATANGAS CITY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT OF QUEZON CITY BRANCH 33, QUEZON CITY ROMULO F. CARIAGA, Plaintiff, -versusCivil Case No. 17-03877-CV

(Sgd.) ISMAEL H. MACASAET Assisting Judge

/lala

more than 300 planes—with growth driven by a model built on cheap prices and flights to almost every corner of the vast Indonesian archipelago. Indonesia’s safety record has improved, analysts say, since its airlines including national carrier Garuda were banned for years from US and European airspace for safety violations. Still, the country has recorded 40 fatal aviation accidents over the past 15 years. The US and EU flight bans have been lifted in recent years, but the industry is still wrestling with outdated infrastructure, accusations of cutting corners and heavy restrictions on hiring pilots and technicians from overseas to plug staff gaps. “If you want to grow quickly, you have to hire foreigners but here we have regulations which prevent us from easily hiring them,” said Jakarta-based aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman. Lion Air—which captured headlines in 2011 with a then-record $22-billion order for Boeing planes -- sits at the center of a $4-billion-plus sector with double-digit annual growth and 97 million domestic travelers last year alone. The carrier’s chief, Edward Sirait, acknowledged that people may see Lion as a “tacky company” that hires “grumpy” service staff straight out of high school. But he disputed any suggestion that pilots—including those that fly on international routes—are not properly trained. “They’d never be able to fly abroad if they weren’t qualified,” he told AFP. AFP

PREMIERE.

TOKYO―Japanese researchers have uncovered a rare, centuries-old, Ninja oath pledging never to divulge the secrets of their spying and sabotage skills -- on pain of divine retribution for generations. Written in cursive calligraphy, the oath contains six promises and was signed some 300 years ago by “Inosuke Kizu”. Kizu was a Ninja from a clan in Iga, a mountainshrouded town near the ancient imperial capital of Kyoto. Expressing gratitude to his superior for passing on “ninjutsu” or “the art of the Ninja”, Kizu pledged he would never pass the knowledge on—even to his children or brothers—and would never use it to steal unless so ordered. In his oath, the Ninja acknowledges that if he broke the promises even by a little, he’d be punished by “big and

known address. The respondent shall have thirty (30) days from the last date of publication to file his answer to the Petition.

MARIA JANICE SANTIAGO BINGAYAN, Petitioner,

-versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. 18-10442 -forDECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE

FELIPE BINGAYAN JR., Respondent. x------------------------------------------x

ORDER Nature of the Petition A verified petition for declaration of nullity of marriage was filed by petitioner Maria Janice Santiago (hereafter referred to as “Janice”) of legal age, Filipino, married to Respondent and a resident of #0130 Delta Road, Sitio Kanluran Villa Jose Subdivision Kumintang Ibaba, Batangas City against Felipe Bingayan Jr., (hereafter referred to as “Felipe”) of legal age, Filipino, married to petitioner whose exact address cannot be ascertained but with last known address at Zone 3 Nabaccayan, Gattaran, Cagayan Province. PRINCIPAL GROUNDS OF THE PETITION As stated in the petition, both the Petitioner and Respondent have personality disorders which make them both psychologically incapacitated to perform the essential marital obligations. The psychological incapacity of both parties existed prior to their marriage and found to be grave and incurable. Petitioner was diagnosed to be suffering from PassiveAggressive Personality Disorder which is characterized by and excessive pattern of stubbornness, dependency and covert obstructionism. Respondent on the other hand was found to be suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder with underlying Borderline Personality Traits and Partner Relational Problems which is characterized by pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration and lack of empathy beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of context. The personality disorder of respondent is manifested by the following: - He did not heed the latter’s need for consistent affection, support and consideration because because of his own selfish ends. He was unable to recognize his faults and shortcomings. He is reluctant to show genuine concern, understanding and cooperation to stabilize their relationship because of his selfabsorption. He continually dwells in his destructive routines which worsen the relational difficulties in their marriage. More so, he constantly manipulated her weakness to satisfy his desires. RELIEFS PRAYED FOR Petitioner prays that after due proceedings that the petition be granted and that an order be issued declaring the marriage of the above name parties Null and void; and other reliefs just and equitable under the premises. DIRECTIVE Respondent Felipe Bingayan Jr., is hereby directed to file with the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 1, Batangas City, within thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication, exclusive of the day of such last publication, his answer to the Petition filed and to serve a copy of the said Answer within the same period upon Petitioner. SO ORDERED. Batangas City, October 3, 2018. (Sgd.) ISMAEL H. MACASAET Assisting Judge /lala I hereby certify that copies of this order have been sent by reg. mail to the respondent; petitioner; Atty. Sharon Ilaw Santonia; and by personal delivery to the Office of the City Prosecutor. (Sgd.) GLENDA M. LACSAMANA-KING Branch Clerk of Clerk (MStandard-Nov. 23 & 30, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Music and arts festival to help revive Leyte’s creative scene By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—A two-day benefit music and arts festival of is seen to revive the economic growth of Leyte creative industries and rural artisans five years after Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” Dubbed as “For the Love of Leyte”, the festival will feature an immersive program of music, arts and cultural workshop with two music stages, art grounds and on-site camping at the Farm at Ginsiyaman in San Miguel, Leyte on November 30 to December 1. “At its core, the festival will champion sustainable tourism and development. It will re-introduce tourists to post-Yolanda Leyte, and will hopefully attract new supporters and advocates of Leyte creative industries. All proceeds of the festival will be channeled to the rebuilding of the Leyte arts, culture and tourism sector,” said Kay Palisoc, organizer of the event. Palisoc added that all festival attendees are promised of a “one-of-akind musical experience and a glimpse of Leyte creative talent and the rich stories behind their craft.” At least 27 bands from international, Original Pilipino Music (OPM), and Waray artists will play during the concert. The musical lineup includes Ben & Ben, Kiko Bun (U.K), Bullet Dumas, The Itchyworms, Babani Records (Mauritius), Reese Lansangan, Ang Bandang Shirley, Hernandez Brothers, Conscious & The Goodness, La Loba Negra, Free the Robots (U.S.), Irie Sunday, Lunas, Rob Mananquil, Tom’s Story, The 76 Receipts, KulaHig, LSR, Aurora, Maroon & Gold, Lady Suzette, Succubus, KRNK, Specs, The Guerillas, Digital Danboi (U.K), Bruder, and Tom Turner, among others. “The festival is intended not only to showcase the talent and creativity of Leytenos to tourists and attendees but also to inspire and upskill Leyte artisans through learning from and collaborating with social entrepreneurs,” said Palisoc. The artist and exhibitors are Lolo Bobby Handicraft, My Souvenir De Basey, Eva Maries Arts and Craft, Upward Baybay, Kamay Ni Nanay, Mama Roots (Laguna), Mark Tamayo, Wang Yu Sajorda, and Abre Linea.

POLICE AWARD. The Quezon City Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology, under the leadership of its warden, Supt. Ermilito C.

Moral, receives a plaque of recognition for its invaluable support to the plans and projects of Quezon City Police Department during its 79th Founding Anniversary held at the QC headquarters Wednesday night. In photo congratulating Moral are (from left) National Capital Region Police Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD District Dir. Joselito Esquivel Jr., and Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde.

Makati Med, city govt sign pact for services By Joel E. Zurbano

ESIDENTS of Makati City may now avail specialized diagnostic and medical services at the Makati Medical Center (MMC).

This was after MMC officials signed an agreement with Ospital of Makati (OsMak) and city government officials led by Mayor Abigail Binay to allow OsMak patients to be referred to MMC for specialized diagnostic exams, treatment, and even surgery. Binay said the program will give beneficiaries of Makati Health Plus (MHP) Program or “Yellow Card,” full access to the best treatment and health care services in the city at no cost to them. “By allowing OsMak doctors to refer cases to MMC, we are tapping their

equipment, technology, and expertise. We are making the latest and most advanced diagnostic tools available to our Yellow Card holders. More importantly, they can avail of life-saving surgical procedures and treatments which have yet to be made available at OsMak,” she said. MMC president and chief executive officer Dr. Maria Corazon Consunji signed the MOA in behalf of MMC. The accord was witnessed by OsMak officer-in-charge and Hospital director Dr. Vergel Binay, Makati City administrator Claro Certeza, and MMC

Medical director Dr. Johnny Sison. Mayor Binay said that while the city continues to improve and modernize OsMak’s facilities, it is inevitable that some equipment like CT Scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines may need repair or replacement. During this time, doctors from OsMak can send patients to MMC for the procedure. Once they have received the results, the patient will come back to OsMak for diagnosis and treatment. “We don’t want our constituents to look for hospitals where they can have their tests done. This is an inconvenience and additional expense for them. That is our responsibility. If, for any reason, the tests or treatment are not available at OsMak, they will be referred to MMC so there will be no delay in the delivery of health care services,” the chief executive said.

‘Navocare’ rehab center unwraps By Jun David MAYOR John Rey Tiangco and Rep. Toby Tiangco recently led the blessing and inauguration of the Navocare Community Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Clinic at Brgy. Tanza 1. The clinic can accommodate musculoskeletal cases including frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement, fractures, and sprains and strains. It can also provide therapy for neurological cases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy. “Tanza is a bit far from the city proper that is why it’s crucial that our

residents here also have facilities that will address their medical and health needs,” Mayor Tiangco said. The barangay also has a 3-in-1 health facility that included a lying-in clinic, health center, and Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course (TB-DOTS) center which opened in May last year. Mayor Tiangco said the city is also building a medical hub at Brgy. San Jose that will also offer communitybased rehabilitation and physical therapy. It will also expand the Navotas City Hospital to increase its bed capacity and provide more medical services.

The dream begins for these CEMEX millennial engineers (clockwise from top left) Rhandolph Cruz, Rostum Hermano, Louise Nicholle Chan and John Ismael Arogo.

Anduyan roads to aid mobility in North Luzon THE completion of the Anduyan Bridge and the interlinked AnduyanRizal-San Pascual Road and AringayTubao Road connecting La Union and Benguet provinces will boost mobility, tourism and trade in Northern Luzon, La Union 2nd District Rep. Sandra Y. Eriguel said. “The people of La Union are very grateful to Secretary Mark Villar and to the whole DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) family,” said Eriguel, whose late husband Rep. Franny Eriguel pushed for the funding and implementation of the project as early as 2015. The P493.9-million project, spanning nearly 15 kilometers, will cut travel time from Tubao, La Union to Asin Hot Spring in Tuba, Benguet from more than two hours to 35 minutes. It will also reduce travel time to Baguio City to less than an hour. More than 4,000 motorists are expected to benefit from the project per day. Villar and other DPWH officials led the inauguration of the 360-meter Anduyan Bridge and the 14.24-km road section along Aringay-Tubao Alternate Road leading to Asin Hot Spring and Baguio City on Monday. Villar said that with the completion of the Anduyan Bridge and the road project, traffic along Marcos Highway would be decongested as Kennon Road remains closed to the motoring public. Eriguel said her late husband pushed for the implementation of the project in 2015 to boost tourism in the area. Frany Eriguel wrote separate letters to then DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., requesting for funding for various DPWH-DOT convergence projects. These including the construction and improvement of Aringay-Tubao Alternate Road Leading to Asin Hot Spring and Baguio City worth P154 million and construction/improvement of Anduyan-Rizal-San PascualNangalesan-Asin Road with a bridge leading to Asin Hot Spring and Baguio City worth P523 million. While the first proposal was included in the 2016 National Expenditure Program and the 2016 General Appropriations Act, the second project was not included in the NEP. The late legislator, during the preplenary discussion of the proposed 2016 DPWH Budget, pleaded with Singzon that a bridge would be a vital infrastructure project in the province.

DA funds SWIP for NV farmers By Ben Moses Ebreo BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya— A Small Water Impounding Project(SWIP) is expected to boost the agricultural yield of farmers in barangay Dullao in this town. The project was funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help the members of the West Dullao Farmers Association, Inc. (WDFAI) in this town. Dominador Abalos, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources consultant, said the rain harvester project has an area of more than 3 hectares which supplies water to at least 100 hectares of farmland. With the SWIP, farmers are enjoying triple cropping of rice and all year round harvest of vegetables and fish supply, he added. The DA also gave away four sets of fish cages, along with fingerlings and fish feeds to the WDFAI. Through a Memorandum of Agreement, WDFAI will provide manpower for the management of the SWIP including the project’s operational information while the DA-BFAR continue to provide assistance for the development of the SWIP and improvement on the lives of the beneficiaries. The DA-BFAR vowed more assistance for the improvement of the SWIP and development of WDFAI members.

Cement firm’s young engineers go to Mexico for training

NEW SERVICE. Converge ICT Linksys Velop launched its new Wi-Fi service called Seamless whole home wi-fi in partnership with Linksys on Thursday in San Juan City. In photo (from left) are Product Manager David Lacsamana, Segment Marketing Manager Sandra Tubali, Country Manager Jason Villados, and Technical Product Manager for Linkys Asia Kristian Anquillano. Lino Santos

Millennial engineers have been hired by building solutions leader CEMEX Holdings Philippines and given the opportunity to learn and develop through the company’s Global ELO program, a yearlong training at the CEMEX Monterrey headquarters in Mexico, the birthplace of the company. Louise Nicholle Chan (22 years old), Rostum “Tomi” Hermano (22), Randolph Cruz (24), who are graduates from the University of the Philippines Diliman, joined John Ismael Arogo (20) from De La Salle University, and Mapua Institute

of Technology’s Jeremiah Madrid (24) and Oscar Samillano (23) in the once-ina-lifetime opportunity. It will be their first time to live far from home, but the participants are looking forward to enhance their skills on safety, quality, production, and maintenance, and sharpen their capability to strategize and innovate while learning firsthand about the global cement manufacturer’s operations in its heritage country. The program will also expose the trainees to different maintenance or expansion projects in other countries where the

company operates. The globalized training is one of the ways in which CEMEX promotes a culture of learning and development, an inclusive work environment that encourages innovative thinking and teamwork among counterparts around the world. Sending the six young engineers to the CEMEX Global ELO program is the first for CEMEX Holdings Philippines, fueled by its vision to help hone Filipino youth’s potential and develop them into high-caliber professionals.

Life culture and media

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mStandardLife friday, november 30, 2018

Back to the countryside

MOTHER AND CHILD IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. In his solo exhibition, dubbed 'Calauag,' visual artist Paul Dimalanta paints rustic scenes featuring farmers, fishermen, and, more notably, mothers with their children.

By Cid Reyes

ou can take a Pinoy out of the countryside, but you cannot take the countryside out of him. That is by way of paraphrasing a once wellknown advertising slogan in America.

Well on the way through the second decade of the 21st century, when our urban developers have been creating business and commercial districts with their skyrocketing edifices of glass, steel, and stone, and our very souls struggle daily through the traffic gridlock and the choking pollution, we now hunger for a way of life that nourished us during our childhood. Indeed, with the relentless inroads of urbanization, that corner in a field, where once stood a lush and beloved mango tree of our childhood, is now a gleaming fast food joint. But since what is done cannot be undone, we can at least escape away from it, if not physically, then in spirit…That is exactly what artist Paul Dimalanta has done. Like a welcome breath of fresh county air, the art of Dimalanta sweeps us back to that lost Eden—that vanished countryside of open sunny fields and lakes, the heat wafted away by continuous breeze, the becalming green grass and verdant vegetation, with the sight of that heavy lumbering carabao chewing cud all day long. Aaah, bliss! Though now engaged in a thriving business of his own, Dimalanta, an artist at heart, has kept those images and memories ever alive in his art. As a visual chronicler of the countryside, the artist is fortunate in having retained that essential gift of treasuring the more meaningful things in life—call it innocence—his spirit never succumbing to weariness and cynicism. All these are clearly manifested in his recent works where, with affectionate regard, he limns with linear delight and accuracy, farmers and fishermen coming home, mothers washing clothes in

a stream, with their children busy helping out or, exhausted, falling into sweet slumber. (Interestingly, many works show a child asleep, recalling for us those long somnolent afternoons in the province.) Soon our spirits are adrift into Dimalanta’s visions of pastoral idyll—this is Amorsolo countryside revisited, Botong Francisco’s rustic Angono folk resurrected. The wonder for us all, now emotionally fraught and mired in the despair and darkness of much contemporary art, is the sheer “imperishability” of this emotional appeal that, like an umbilical cord not wanting to let go, connects us to the very wellspring of our essence as a Filipino. No veneer of Western sophistication, no fear of social or intellectual snobbery or artistic ostracism, can wean us away from our attachment to these classical themes of Philippine art. With resounding pride, the late Vicente Manansala, long contentedly domiciled in the hills of Binangonan, happily painting away, and not yet proclaimed National Artist, thundered to this writer-interviewer: “I am not an intellectual! I am a peasant! I paint from the heart!” No doubt, that is a sentiment that has found resonance and relevance in the art of Paul Dimalanta. Painting from the heart, he has heeded the words of the revered Mang Enteng. No, you cannot take away the countryside from the Pinoy. “Calauag,”Paul Dimalanta’s solo exhibition is currently on view at ArtistSpace in Ayala Museum until Dec. 4. The museum is open from Mondays to Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to Paul Dimalanta's 'Mother and Child XXI' (2018) and 'Mother and Child VI' (2018) 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Bamboo in the spotlight uNDEr a bamboo forest canopy inspired by the concept of forest bathing, Design Center’s special bamboo setting at the recent Manila FAME showcased the wonders of this treelike grass. Design Center featured at the biannual trade show two innovative projects, namely Bamboo 360 and Bamboo Extreme 2.0. Bamboo 360, a partnership with Pampanga Furniture Industries Foundation, interior products manufacturers, and bamboo converters, featured design-forward home and lifestyle products developed by 10 designers from the agency’s Design Innovation Program. The products featured focused on the material’s various unique qualities and the current technologies available to convert the bamboo as a building block for product innovation. Bamboo Extreme 2.0, on the other hand, focused primarily on mobility concepts for the extreme lifestyle of the millennial market. It featured three product development partners who launched the next-generation concepts from the 2017 Bamboo Extreme project. Included in the showcase were the Bambino by Bambike revolution Cycles, which was recently conferred with Japan’s Good Design Award in Tokyo, Japan. The other product on display highlighted by Bambike revolution Cycles was the Chariot, a study in bamboo symmetry and function. Also on display were Modern Eco-Padyak by Milo Naval, which caught the eye of many resort developers and tourism professionals, as well as crowd faFurniture designer Milo Naval, curator of Design Center’s special bamboo setting.

A bicycle made of bamboo, one of the pieces featured in Bamboo Extreme 2.0.

vorite Midnight Falcon by Banatti, an electricity-powered café racer. Naval, who also curated the showcase, said “the designers came with suggestions like lamps, furniture, and other items for the home that beneficiaries of the bamboo-propagation project could follow,” referring to the government’s collaboration with the mining sector to revegetate post-mining communities through bamboo. Design Center executive director rhea Matute noted that the setting translates the conversation between designers and manufacturers on how they could further push bamboo as a material and spur further innovation on its use and conversion. “Each of our designers has their own point of view, their own voice on how they want to work with bamboo, and how they would translate a specific characteristic of the bamboo into their finished product. So it’s a marriage between the bamboo, the manufacturer, and the designer,” said Matute. She continued, “What we want to do at Design Center is to create an environment where designers can experiment with ideas, materials, and processes. It’s creating those pockets of safe spaces where designers can boldly explore possibilities and push innovation of otherwise banal materials.”

Entertainment

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor

MARLO MORTEL goes back in time in new book S

INGERACTOR Marlo Mortel stars as a gentleman during the Spanish era in the romantic ﬁction book I Love You Since 1892, written by Binibining Mia under ABS-CBN Publishing.

This year’s Miss Silka candidates posing before the media during the press presentation held early this week.

Miss Silka Philippines 2018 crowned today Marlo Mortel with Binibining Mia during the book’s launch held last week at SM Manila.

The story revolves around optimistic Carmela, a 21st-century woman, who suddenly finds herself in the 19th century as Carmelita Montecarlos, and her journey with the doctor-to-be gentleman, the kind Juanito Alfonso (Marlo). The successful fiction leads to book 2, Ang Pag-aaklas (Ikalawang Bahagi), which will bring readers to find out what happens to Carmela and Juanito. Will love prevail over fear? Go back in time and revel in romance with Marlo Mortel in I Love You Since 1892: Ang Pag-aaklas (Ikalawang Bahagi) by available in National Book Store outlets nationwide for only P225. For more details like ABS-CBN Books on Facebook and Instagram @abscbnbooks.

‘Ralph Breaks the Internet,’ and nearly a box-office record DISNEY’S new Ralph Breaks the Internet dominated North American box offices over the holiday weekend, pulling in an estimated $55.7 million for the Friday-through-Sunday stretch, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. The animated sequel to Wreck It Ralph enjoyed the secondbest debut ever for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, behind Disney’s Frozen, according to Variety.com, but will need staying power to make up for its $175 million production budget. The film has title character Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and friend Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) venturing into the wide world of the web, where they encounter some, well, not very Disney-like behavior. The second spot this weekend went to another new release, MGM’s Creed II, with a take of $35.3 million. This eighth chapter in the Rocky series stars Michael B. Jordan, Dolph Lundgren and, of course, Sylvester Stallone as the aging Rocky Balboa. Jordan plays Adonis Creed as he takes on the son of the boxer who killed Adonis’s father. In third was Universal’s family-friendly animation The Grinch, at $30.2 million. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the illtempered title character, with support from Rashida Jones and Angela Lansbury. Sliding from first spot last weekend to fourth was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald from Warner Bros., at $29.7 million. The Harry Potter prequel stars Eddie Redmayne as

Newt Scamander as he works with Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to take down evil Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). In ﬁfth was Bohemian Rhapsody, Fox’s foot-stomping biopic about Freddie Mercury and rock group Queen, at $13.9 million. Rami Malek has drawn critical acclaim for his portrayal of the singer/songwriter, and the ﬁlm has amassed over $150 million in North American receipts. AFP

'Ralph Breaks the Internet' just hit theaters, and the many audience members are being treated to cameos from some of their favorite Disney characters.

T W E N T Y- S I X beauties from across the archipelago vie for the Miss Silka 2018 crown today. They will try to outwit and impress a panel of judges during a pageant at the Market! Market! Activity Center this afternoon. According to the pageant organizers during the press presentation of the candidates at The b Hotel in Quezon City last Tuesday, beauty, wit and grace are the qualities truly essential in winning a crown. They added, “Throughout the years, pageants here in the Philippines have become not only a platform to showcase one’s beauty but also to promote one’s advocacy. This 2018, 26 ladies equipped with the mission to help transform lives and empower their communities, will compete in Miss Silka Philippines pageant.” Now on its 11th year, Miss Silka Philippines continues to celebrate diversity among women with different ethnicities and culture by giving an avenue for different regions to be represented in the national pageant that continues its legacy by providing a platform for women to ignite change and influence people to become ambassadors of progress and transformations. The pageant is spearheaded by Cosmetique Asia Corporation in collaboration with different organizations. The country’s King of RnB Jay-R and Tippy Dos Santos will host the pageant, while performers include Filipino singer and actor Inigo Pascual and Silka Papaya endorser Yassi Pressman. The lady who will be crowned as Miss Silka Philippines 2018 will become an official endorser of the brand and will receive a cash prize of P150,000, gift certificates, and one year supply of Silka products. She will receive products and get skin treatments from Zenaya Aesthetics. The Miss Silka Philippines 2018 chosen charity will also receive P150,000. The pageant is being presented by Cornerstone Events, its fifth partnership with Silka. *** Lighting up Araneta Center’s giant Christmas tree Christmas at the Araneta Center just got brighter, and here, it truly brings people together! All roads lead to the Times Square Food Park on Nov. 16 as Araneta Center switched the lights on its iconic giant Christmas tree. The 37-year-old tradition is one of the most anticipated events in the country’s premier lifestyle hub. More than 10,000 people crowded the food park, and why not? Pop Star Royalty Sarah Geronimo was there. It was like homecoming of sorts for her as has celebrated various milestones in her career at the Smart Araneta Coliseum including her sold-out anniversary This 15 Me concert in April. Vice Ganda led the tree lighting for the fifth straight year. Just like Geronimo, Vice Ganda has staged successful concerts at the Big Dome including the Guinness World Recordclinching music fest of her cosmetic line in September.

The 100-foot giant Christmas tree is the centerpiece attraction in Araneta Center this Yuletide season. It features 3,000 LED bulbs and more than 1,500 assorted decors including giant balls, giant bells, lighted poinsettias and a seven-foot star topper. Providing additional star power to the festivities were total entertainer Darren Espanto, heartthrob McCoy de Leon, international phenoms TNT Boys, “Twang ng Tanghalan Season 2” grand champion Janine Berdin, love team partners Vivoree Esclito and CK Kieron, and The Kids’ Choice jurors Xia Vigor, Chunsa Jung, Onyok Pineda, Carlo Mendoza and Jayden Villegas. OPM band Mojofly rounded up the list of performers. Miss Universe Philippines Catriona Gray, Binibining Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International Eva Patalinjug, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental Karen Gallman and Miss Globe top 15 finalist Michele Gumabao also graced the tree-lighting. Volleyball player-turned-anchor Gretchen Ho, theater actor Benj Manalo and comedian MC hosted the lighting ceremonies. *** Maine Mendoza, Baeby Baste usher in CODís return to Araneta Center On Nov. 23, Friday, TV host-actress Maine Mendoza and child star Baeby Baste welcomed the return of the Christmas on Display at the Times Square Food Park along with other VIP guests and official of the Araneta Center.†After 16 years, the animated Christmas on Display has returned to its true home. People from all walks of life and across different generations crowded the Times Square Food Park, a stoneís throw away from its original location. Created by businessman Alex Rosario Sr. in 1957, Christmas on Display transferred to Araneta Center in 1966 and has since become a prominent attraction in the countryís premier lifestyle hub during Christmas until the Manila C.O.D. Department Store ceased operations in 2002. Now helmed by Rey Rosario, the COD will continue to amaze with its imposing design and touching stories. With a touch of something old and something new, the animated display still harkens back to its glory days of simple pleasures in life, but is now set in a backdrop that is as Instagram-worthy as many attractions in the metropolis these days. With bright lights, music, and the help of more than 40 moving mannequins, it will touch on Araneta Centerís theme ìChristmas is Home,î a topic all too familiar for countless of Filipinos that travel from far away places to be with the ones they love this Holiday season. The Christmas On Display has 15-minute shows from 6 pm to 10:30 pm on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays to Saturdays until Jan. 6, 2019. *** More stories of these kinds at www. isah.red. Follow me on Facebook (@ isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@isahvred). ΙŘ

9TH KUTITAP A celebration of arts, culture and traditions IN CELEBRATION of the 2018 National Children’s Month, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Cultural Exchange Department (CED) in partnership with the Musikahan sa Tagum Foundation Inc. (a CCP Kaisa sa Sining Regional Art Center in Mindanao), Sining Bulakenyo Pangkat Mananayaw ng Bulacan Inc. and Performance Laboratory Inc. of Negros Occidental is holding the 9th Kutitap: Isang Piging ng Kabataang Makasining until Nov. 30 at the National Arts Center in Makiling, Laguna. Children ages 7 to 12 years old with their adult leaders representing various cultural communities all over the country gather for a four-day celebration of

arts, culture and traditions. Now on its 9th year, Kutitap aims to instill among the Filipino children and youth a deep sense of understanding, appreciation and pride for Philippine arts, indigenous culture, as well as to promote creativity and positive social values. Kutitap will conduct interactive activities to include mini-workshops and showcases (in dance, drama, music, rituals, visual arts, etc.), storytelling, crafting, traditional games, ﬁlm viewing, group discussions, creative collaboration, educational-exposure tours, among others. Since the ﬁrst gathering in 2009, Kutitap has already reached over 2753 children from 115 local communities

nationwide. In 2011, the project was redesigned for the benefit of the children in Northern Luzon who were badly affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel. For the first time in 2015, Kutitap was brought out of the CCP and was hosted by the City of Batangas. For the first time too, the program was filmed and presented as part of the Children of Asia research project under the Asian Culture Institute (ACI) in Gwangju, South Korea. The film made by Kevin K. Park was shown during the opening of the Asia Culture Center (ACC) in Korea. In 2016, Kutitap was brought to the Visayas under the hosting of the Province of Capiz and last year, Kutitap was held

Indigenous children participate in CCP’s ‘9th Kutitap,’ four-day celebration of arts, culture and traditions.

in Pantukan, Compostela Valley in Mindanao. This year’s participants will be children from the 14 cultural communities: Mindanao –Manobo, Kalagan-Kagan, Sama Bihing and Sama Kabingaan; Visayas – Cebuano, Boholano, Baybaya-

non; Luzon–Marinduqueño, Tagalog from Sampaloc-Quezon, Bataan and Guiguinto-Bulacan; and NCR-Pasay, Manila, Muntinlupa. For more information, contact the CCP Cultural Exchange Department at 832-1125 loc. 1709-1710.

Motoring

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Nissan to create electric vehicle ‘ecosystem’

TRIPLE TREAT. Mitsubishi Motors garnered three major awards at the AFPCA. From left: Ray Butch Gamboa, chairman-CEO of Sunshine Television; Taichi Nakajima, Mitsubishi Motors Phils. EVP for Sales and Marketing; Anthony Quiambao , president and CEO of Stradcom Corp; and, Gerry Aquino, chairman of the awards committee.

Rich harvest of auto awards Mitsubishi Montero, Xpander, Pajero shine at AFPCA

n its 13th year, the Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards once again recognized the most popular automotive models in the Philippines. In the recent APFC Awards Night, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation was honored to receive 3 major awards from this prestigious awards program. The Montero Sport won major title for the Model of the Year Awards as it bested its competitors in the SUV of the Year tilt. Having been undefeated for ﬁve straight years in the SUV of the Year category, the Montero Sport was also included in the elite Model of the Year- Hall of Fame. It is no surprise that the public continue to patronize this model because of its topnotch performance, class-leading features and best value for money that the Montero Sport offers. Apart from the Model of Year Awards, another equally important recognitions given were the Media’s Choice awards. With the votes coming from the most discerning Motoring journalist of the country, two among MMPC’s best-selling models were recognized. The XPANDER which was just launch during the ﬁrst quarter of

the year instantly captured warm market acceptance including appreciation from the media for its superb styling and classleading features. Thus, this year it was voted by the media as the Best Design under the MPV category. The XPANDER’s design truly outshines its rivals with its adventurous and futuristic style. It ﬂaunts Mitsubishi Motors’ Dynamic shield design concept which powerfully expresses high performance and sense of protection. Another big winner is the Pajero which was proclaimed as the Auto Focus Media’s Choice for Best Engine Performance in the Large SUV category. The Mitsubishi Pajero is powered by 3.2L In-Line 4 DOHC 16-Valve Turbocharged an Intercooled VGT Diesel engine. This engine is proven to provide superior torque especially during low to mid ranges.

Receiving the awards during the recognition night was Taichi Nakajima, MMPC Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing. “We are very delighted to be recognized once again in the AFPCA. These awards are testaments of the market’s unrelenting trust and continued patronage to the Mitsubishi Motors brand”, Nakajima expressed. The public voted for these models because of its known quality and excellent performance. “We shall strive further and continue to offer innovative and cutting-edge vehicles to our most valued customers as we live-up with the Mitsubishi spirit” he added. • AFPCA is an annual awards program organized by Sunshine TV (STV) to recognize and commemorate the most preferred vehicle models of the public and media. Winners of the model of the year were determined thru a public poll and total sales of that particular model. A percentage weight factor of 80% was applied to total votes from the Public Poll, and 20% to Month-to-date Sales (January to September 2018). The ofﬁcial list of entries consisted of models from automotive manufacturers that are ofﬁcial members of Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) and the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID).

CHEVRON’S VOLUNTEER WEEK 2018

Celebrating the virtue of giving back FOR FIVE days every year, Volunteer Week encourages Chevron employees and other Chevron business partners to volunteer and work for the progress and improvement of communities where Chevron does business. Aside from employees, the growing number of volunteer participants now includes Caltex retailers, Chevron contractors, suppliers and other Chevron operating units. This year saw more than 300 volunteers step out of their usual work routines and log in a total of 1,311 hours to take part in activities that positively impact the children, the youth, the marginalized sector and the environment. Caltex Makati Credit Cooperative (CMCC) volunteers kicked off the ﬁveday 2018 Volunteer Week with Project LIVE: Labor Initiative and Volunteerism Engagement. Project LIVE

Chevron volunteers in action

included a stuffed pan de sal-making workshop for CMCC volunteers and a feeding program for the children and parents of Barangay Pio Del Pilar in Makati. The workshop was facilitated by two migrant youth bakers from the foundation. “I always tell the boys to have an attitude of gratitude. When we learned that Chevron would be visiting for Volunteer Week, I told the boys that one way we can show the volunteers our gratitude is to share with them the skills the boys have learned through the program,” says Father David Buenaventura, executive director of Don Bosco Pugad. Chevron also donated a commercialgrade dough mixer to Don Bosco Pugad to help boost productivity and sustain the bakery for many more years. Don Bosco Pugad is a long-time Chevron social investment partner. In 2003, Chevron do-

nated a professional baker’s oven to the center and provided seed money for a skills training program. This skills training program has since evolved to become one of the most-sustainable skills programs established by the Chevron and Don Bosco Pugad partnership. The training bakery has quickly expanded its output to include various pastries that are then sold at the Manna from Heaven Bakeshop, a project spin-off located at the Don Bosco parish grounds. This bake shop helps the underprivileged migrant youth of Pugad, who at the same time are taking up vocational courses at Don Bosco Technical Institute. With Chevron’s support, Don Bosco Pugad also opened the Caltex-Pugad Coffee and Saints Café, a restaurant operations and training venture located immediately outside the Don Bosco parish church. It is ran by Pugad boys who have graduated from the bakery and are learning restaurant management and waiter service. Lastly, Chevron sponsored the Mobile Mechanic, a call-a-mechanic service that can accommodate clients from the nearby Makati villages and central business district. It offers car wash and vehicle maintenance services at the parish grounds. It is managed by Pugad youth who have completed automotive mechanic courses. For the second and third days of Volunteer Week 2018, Chevron Holdings Inc. volunteers imparted new knowledge and skills to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) senior high school (SHS) students of the University of Makati (UMAK). Chevron Holdings Inc. provides various support to Chevron ofﬁces worldwide.

NISSAN has created a vision to make electric vehicles even more useful to customers by introducing new convenient ways to utilize their batteries’ ability to store and share energy. Under the plan, called Nissan Energy, owners of Nissan’s electric vehicles will be able to easily connect their cars with energy systems to charge their batteries, power homes and businesses or feed energy back to power grids. The company will also develop new ways to reuse electric car batteries. Nissan has already begun programs in the U.S., Japan and Europe aimed at creating an “ecosystem” around its range of electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling electric car. Nissan Energy brings these initiatives together as part of the company’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility strategy. “Nissan Energy will enable our customers to use their electric cars for much more than just driving – now they can be used in nearly every aspect of the customer’s lives,” said executive vice president Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s global head of marketing, sales and electric vehicles. “Our Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision calls for changing how cars are integrated with society, and Nissan Energy turns that vision into reality.” Nissan Energy will establish new standards for connecting vehicles to energy systems through three key initiatives: Nissan Energy Supply, Nissan Energy Share and Nissan Energy Storage. High-profile Nissan Energy initiatives extend to a variety of locations, including Nissan’s North American headquarters: Franklin, Tennessee: Nissan North America will be piloting the use of LEAF vehicles to assist in powering its headquarters facilities during peak electrical demand times, anticipating significant cost savings Hagen, Germany: LEAF vehicles will be used as a reserve for the German electricity grid, in an innovative pilot project involving Nissan, technology company The Mobility House, energy supplier ENERVIE and transmission system operator Amprion Japan: Nissan is working with partners such as electric and telecom companies, conducting field tests of vehicle-to-grid and virtual power plant systems to confirm and promote opportunities for electric vehicles to assist with managing energy Nissan Energy Supply: Providing the connected charging solutions customers need at home, on the road and at their destination Customers want to charge their electric vehicles when it’s most convenient, and the majority of charging takes place at home. Nissan’s efforts to assist customers includes verifying whether charging equipment, such as electrical sockets or wall boxes, can be connected to Nissan electric vehicles safely (market-dependent). Away from home, customers can make use of the fast-growing CHAdeMO charging network—one of the world’s largest, with more than 22,000 quickcharging points globally. Finding charging locations and hooking into the network—allowing Nissan Energy Supply to come alive—is made possible through the revised LEAF navigation system and easily available NissanConnect app. Nissan Energy Share: Working with partners to harness energy integration po-

tential The batteries in an electric car can do more than just power the vehicle; they can also serve as mobile energy storage devices. Nissan vehicles already on the road contain more than 10 GWh of combined storage potential. Nissan Energy Share capabilities connect the vehicles with society’s infrastructure to allow them to share their high-capacity battery power with a connected home or building. They also allow the cars to link to the local energy grid to act as virtual power plants – supplying the vehicle’s power to the grid and contributing to efficient energy management. Thanks to these capabilities, customers will be able to share spare battery capacity without compromising their mobility. Nissan has already carried out Energy Share pilot programs in Japan, the U.S., Europe and other markets, collaborating with several companies and organizations. Once the pilot tests are completed, Nissan will be ready to rapidly commercialize the systems. Vehicle-to-home (V2H): Nissan is working with partners to bring inexpensive equipment to the market to popularize V2H. Using V2H, owners of Nissan electric vehicles can use their cars as a power source for the household to save money on electricity bills, or as backup power during blackouts or emergencies. This allows the usage of renewable energy when available, or when electricity is cheaper. Vehicle-to-building (V2B): Similar to V2H, V2B makes use of electric vehicle batteries to store energy for buildings and businesses. However, a V2B system can involve hundreds of vehicles to realize major cost savings for a company. Fullscale trials of V2B systems have already started in many countries, and Nissan has been working with partners with the aim of bringing the systems to market in 2019. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G): Nissan has formed partnerships with utility companies and governments to harness V2G capabilities. In trials in Europe, Nissan cars are providing multiple services to the electricity grid – helping balance energy networks and incorporate renewable energy. Working with partners, Nissan is piloting ways to let customers earn additional income by sharing energy from their vehicles when they are not being otherwise used, without affecting the customer’s mobility needs or the health of the vehicles. Nissan Energy Storage: Providing a “second life” to an electric vehicle’s battery The life of a Nissan electric vehicle’s battery isn’t over after it has finished powering the car. The battery can be recycled and refurbished for a number of different uses – from powering electric forklifts and generators to supplying energy to a sports arena. As more and more customers switch to electric cars, the availability of used lithium-ion batteries is expected to increase significantly as owners replace their vehicles. These are some of the Nissan Energy Storage programs to date: Japan: In 2010, Nissan joined forces with Sumitomo Corp. to establish 4R Energy Corp., which repurposes lithium-ion batteries from electric cars for new uses. The first 4R Energy plant opened its doors in March 2018. By using the battery-refabricating capabilities of 4R Energy Corp., Nissan is able to reuse batteries for EV applications, store energy or power heavy equipment, among other uses. Europe: Nissan has been reusing electric vehicle batteries as part of an advanced home power solution. In the U.K, the company has combined that energy storage with advanced solar panels. In June, Nissan inaugurated Europe’s biggest energy storage system at Holland’s Johan Cruyff Arena. Powered by 148 Nissan LEAF batteries, the system operates independently from the main power grid. South America: Nissan Brazil and the Federal University of Santa Catarina have signed a memorandum of intent to test solutions and future applications for used EV batteries.

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Lights on for safety By Maricel V. Cruz

High-octane action at the recent Macau Grand Prix saw German driver Sophia Floersch (inset) surviving a near-fatal crash. The 17-year-old went through long hours of spinal surgery but she was unfazed, vowing to stage a comeback.

Macau racing car mishap rings safety alarm bells

UESTIONS are being asked about safety standards in motorsports after a horrifying crash at the Macau Grand Prix 2018 led to a 17-year-old German driver undergoing seven hours of spinal surgery. Why is the Macau Grand Prix dangerous? Motorcycle and racing car Grand Prix have been held for over 60 years in Macau, a town with the reputation as being the Asian Las Vegas, and the Formula 3 race in which German racer Sophia Floersch hurtled into marshals and photographers after ﬂying off the track on Sunday is the most popular race of all. Raced over a temporary circuit at Guia, the 6.2km track is dotted with long straights where speeds of 275km/h are the norm, which are then coupled with tight, blind corners. As with most urban circuits the roads are narrow and there are few safety exits.

Any driver losing control on a corner or chicane will almost certainly hit the barriers and those behind will find it almost impossible to avoid running into them. In a GT category event in 2017 there was a fifteen-car pile up under just those circumstances. Three people have died on the Macau circuit in recent years: motorcyclists Daniel Hegarty and Luis Carreira -- in 2017 and 2012 respectively -- and the Hong Kong racing driver Phillip Yau, also in 2012. Another driver, a race commissioner and two photographers were also injured when Floersch’s vehicle flew out of control into a corner over a barrier on Sunday.

Miraculously no spectators were hurt, but it would be hard to deny spectators’ lives were on the line in that accident. What happened to Sophia Floersch? No television footage exists of the accident but spectators filmed Floersch tearing into a right-angled corner at 276km/h (171.6 mph). Her Dallara-Mercedes ran into the back of a rival car, sending her into a wall and ripping off her left-side wheels before she flew over the newly installed kerb buffers that made her fly over Japanese driver Sho Tsuboi’s car and then smash through the security grill and destroy a cabin housing photographers, falling into a zone where the race commissioners were. The result was a fractured spine for Florsch, a broken jaw for Japanese the race commissioner, one photographer was left badly concussed and the other had a lacerated liver. The Japanese driver Tsuboi considered as having had a lucky escape after the German hit the safety-arc or halo just behind her head. What are people in racing saying?

Motorsport journalist Jonathan Noble said that “safety measures proved key for her, the photographers and track workers”, while Edoardo Mortara, who won the race twice, took to Twitter to say: “We need to thank @fia for the work they re putting in order to make our races as safe as they can be. Let’s stop complaining and questioning their work #thankyoufia.” Brazilian former winner of the race Lucas di Grassi said that “just to be clear I love Macau Grand Prix and everyone entering that race must be aware of the risks. Motorsport is dangerous and it will never be 100% safe. We all should be thankful to the incredible work @fia does in safety and this crash just shows how safe these cars are. “The big problem with building kerbs inside the track. Remember Prost x Heidfeld first ever Formula E race? Sophia’s crash today at Macau was very similar,” added di Grassi. “Let’s learn from it. This is not the first time it happens.” AFP

MOTORBIKE riders, take heed. The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 8322 that requires motorcycle riders to turn on their headlights when driving. The proposed “Mandatory Automatic Headlights On for Motorcycles Act” mandates the need to maintain their headlights on while their motorcycles are running on all roads at all hours of the day and night. The penalties are rather stiff. For the first violation, the fine amounts to P1,000.00. For chronic violators, fine rises from P2,500 up to P5,000 with confiscation of driver’s license. The bill is principally authored by Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay) party-list Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. The bill aims to enforce a low-cost method to reduce road crashes and prevent day-time and night-time head-on, front-corner, and other forms of collision by increasing motorcycle conspicuousness and visibility. The bill requires motorcycle drivers and operators to automatically turn on their headlights as soon as they start their motorcycle engines and to maintain their headlights on at all hours of the day and night while their motorcycles are running on all roads. A fine of P1,000 to P2,000 shall be imposed for the first violation on any riding motorist, driver, owner or operator who failed to use headlights; a fine of P2,500 to P3,000 for the second violation; and a minimum fine of P3,500 to P5,000 and suspension of driver’s license for a period of one month for the third and succeeding violations. Meanwhile, for the first violation, a fine of P5,000 to P10,000 and suspension of the license to manufacture, assemble, import or distribute for a period of one year shall be imposed on any manufacturer, assembler, importer and distributor for every motorcycle unit without a working headlight and/ or an Automatic Headlight On System, mechanism or device. Similarly, a fine of P10,000 to P20,000 and suspension of the license to manufacture, assemble, import or distribute for a period of two years, for the second violation shall be imposed; and fine of P50,000 and suspension of the license to manufacture, assemble, import or distribute for a period of five years, for the third violation. A total of 215 congressmen approved the bill during a plenary vote last Monday

Petron presents

Ford GT collectibles Activities included fun booth and stage games and a helmet design and modified bike competition.

“Shell Outriders is our nationwide search for the best bike club in the country,” notes Shell V-Power brand manager Mark Malabanan.

Shell wraps up Bike Fair 2018 in epic fashion AFTER a successful kick-off in Baguio City last July, Shell Bike Fair 2018 recently held an epic ﬁnale at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City with over 3,000 riders, bike club members, and motorcycle enthusiasts from different parts of the country in attendance. As Shell’s way of thanking the riding community for its unwavering support for Shell Advance motorcycle oils and Shell V-Power fuels, Shell Bike Fair was launched in 2015 and continues to get bigger every year. “We hope to strengthen our relationship with our thousands of loyal riders not just by offering high quality products but also by delighting them with this experience designed especially for them,” reveals Lorrie Ramirez, Shell Advance Brand Manager. “And we are always happy to see such great turnout from our riders year in and year out.” A major highlight of the event was

the awarding of the Shell Outriders Best Bike Club. The winners were picked out through careful screening of hundreds of entries over the past two months. “Shell Outriders is our nationwide search for the best bike club in the country,” notes Shell V-Power brand manager Mark Malabanan. “It is our way of acknowledging bike clubs for the activities that they do to promote moto-tourism and safe driving practices, as well as their respective advocacies and outreach programs.” Showing exceptional passion in achieving their collective goals, the Western Bicutan Riders club bagged the grand prize. They exhibited personal and social courage in various ways, beneﬁting not only their bike club but also the larger community. The club received a cash prize of P100,000.00 and fuel vouchers worth P50,000.00. The Bicol Elite Mix Moto Club and Bull Riders Club Philippines were awarded 1st and 2nd runners-up, respectively.

The day’s activities included fun booth and stage games and a helmet design and modified bike competition. The crowd was also entertained by celebrities Daiana Meneses, Yam Concepcion, and Phoebe Walker while band Rocksteddy and Rico Blanco rocked the venue with electrifying performances. Five brand new motorcycles were raffled off to lucky winners: two Yamaha Mio bikes, two Suzuki Raiders, and one Honda CBR. “True to our theme ‘Together, we ride stronger,’ we continue to strive to make life’s journeys better for all motorists. We believe that as road partners, we can outride all obstacles we face on the road,” Malabanan stressed. Indeed, as bikers continue with their life’s journey while facing various challenges on and off the road, Shell commits to be their dependable road companion, providing products and services that best fit their needs.

THE Ford GT scale model comes to participating Petron stations nationwide, starting today, November 30, to December 15, 2018. Collectors can redeem their qualiﬁed purchases for the Ford GT scale model of high-quality die cast metal for an affordable price of Php 250 each. To avail of one toy car for P 250, present a single or accumulated purchase of P500 worth of Petron fuels or Petron engine oils. These include Petron Blaze 100, Petron XCS, Petron Xtra Advance, Petron Turbo Diesel Max, Petron Blaze Racing, Petron HTP, Petron Ultron, Petron RevX, and Petron Sprint 4T. This promo is valid only for same station redemption. Cash and credit transactions, as well as bulk, P.O. and wholesale transactions are qualiﬁed to participate in this promo.

The Ford GT is a mid-engine twoseater sports car powered by 3.5L turbocharged V6 engine generating maximum power of 656PS and torque of 746Nm. Its body is a lightweight carbon ﬁber monocoque bolted to aluminum subframes. The windshield is made of Corning Gorilla Glass similar to smartphone screens. It has a pushrod suspension system, active aerodynamics, and dihedral doors. The Ford GT accelerates from 0–97kph in 2.8-seconds and can reach a top speed of 348kph. Like other models in the Petron Toy Car Collection, the Ford GT is a 1:32 scale and has a pull-back to accelerate function. There are two color variations: (1) glossy red with black stripes, and (2) matte black with orange stripes.